Second Princess of the Night
by Senyu
Summary: Long ago, four ponies ruled with darkness across the divided Equestria, rivaling even the Royal Princesses fledging kingdom. It was only when they and the Crystal Kingdom had vanished were the Princesses able to unite the land. But with its return and Sombra's defeat, darkness threatens again. For when one evil is smitten, another will appear, and Sombra was only the first in line.
1. Chapter 1

_Once upon a dark night,_

 _Four ponies ruled with unholy might,_

 _Shrouded in darkness both heart and soul,_

 _Let their evil be remembered never more…_

Within the dark cavern, water dripped to the cavern floor, slowly forming the the stalagmites over the last eon. It was an undisturbed place deep within the mountain, a final resting place for the crystal coffin that lay between the formed rocks. No sunlight could reach this place, and even if some source of light were to appear, the coffin would remain pitch black, the after effect of the magic swirling within the crystal structure. But between the echoing droplets of water, and within the dark crystal, voices whispered. They were faint and weary, quietly recounting things that had happened long ago, or random thoughts that came from maddened frenzy. For a moment they would become quiet, bringing an eerie silence to the cavern before slowly picking back up again. Telling the same story once more, remembering a worn thought once more. Trying to stay sane once more.

But when the coffin gave a low rumble, and the black magic began to recede, the voices became quiet, and they waited. Stifling seconds became minutes, and soon became hours, yet still the black magic did not return, and sanity finally returned to the inhabitant.

His bones creaked as he moved his leg, and with a gentle prod at the starkly clearer crystal, he pushed the lid open, and found that it could finally move. The coffin lid fell onto the floor, echoing its thud within the cavern, the first new noise since he had arrived.

Pulling himself out, he looked about the cavern, easily seeing the naturally formed rock around him even though there was no light. He sat still for some time, taking in the mounds of rock and dripping water, a welcomed sight from the black surface that was burned into his memory.

He looked down at his coffin, and searched for an inkling of the darkness within the crystal, but found plain crystal, and he whispered with a dry voice, "S… Sombra…"

Flexing his legs, and sweetly remembering what movement felt like, he pulled himself out of the coffin and slowly departed the cavern. Though no trace of hoofsteps remained from that far away day, memories of the path became clear in his mind, and he slowly navigated his way out from the mountain.

When he finally exited the earth, he paused beneath an expanse of glittering lights, and he stared up in awe at the sight he had missed beyond all others. The stars.

Slumping on his hind legs, he kept his head pointing skyward, refusing to blink even once lest he see pure darkness for even a moment instead of this wondrous night. And as he stared, the voices within his mind slowly began to fade, pulled and collected into order now that there was something else that could occupy his time. It was when the last voice was silenced and he breathed deeply, savoring the scent of the night, colors filled the sky, and the following boom caused him to flatten his ears.

He winced at the deafening noise and shied away from the blinding light. He sprung onto his hooves and prepared himself for the foe, but as another explosion of color appeared, followed by more, he slowly let go of his tension. The noise was becoming bearable again, and his eyes adjusted to the intruding light, and he saw that it was simply fireworks decorating the sky.

Curiously, he stepped forward and found himself at the cliff's edge, high above the celebrating kingdom within the valley. Crystal buildings shimmered from the colorful fireworks, and the lights of the town casted a soft glow on the surrounding countryside. Focusing his senses, he could hear the subtle roar of a crowd, shouting in celebration.

He pondered this sight for sometime, and it was only when a brilliant light within the center of the kingdom, beneath the base of the tallest tower, did he pieced together his memory of the place, and smiled as the familiar aurora borali stretch into the night sky. "Crystal… Heart," he croaked, and a thin smile appeared on his lips.

"Sombra… you lost, e… eh?"

A guttural noise escaped his lips, the first laugh to come. "L-Looks like somepony did away with you. Who… Whoever they were, I thank them for freeing me from your gifted tomb." He looked about the landscape, leisurely taking in the crystal mountains and the running valleys. "I wonder... if the others are free as well, or already have been. How far you've fallen now, Sombra. You might have bested the three of us, but even you would fail in time… Always in time..."

He straightened his back, and breathed deeply once again. The air was fresh, and ever so faintly on the passing breeze, he could smell ponies. The sweet scent was more than enough to rekindle the burning sensation in his throat, and he gasped, revealing his fangs.

"This… will perhaps be… the most delicious meal I'll ever have had."

He raised his hoof upward, and grunted in exertion from magic. At once shadows swirled about his hoof as though they were alive, and they twisted down his arm and around his torso. He winced at the forming flesh, pushing through the spell until completion. Once finished he casted the shadows aside, and he experimentally flapped the leathery wings that he now bore.

"Still… Got it," he whispered, flinching at the ever rising burning sensation in his throat. Breathing alone was becoming difficult, and so he moved with haste towards the cliff edge. Leaping from the rock, he free falled down the mountain side before opening his bat-like wings, and he glided into the night.

* * *

 _Months later..._

"Do you think you can make it?" Pinkie Pie asked hopefully.

Twilight turned towards her with a smile. "I think I can attend, Pinkie. I managed to finish Princess Celestia's assignment ahead of schedule, so I just need to catch up on some sleep and I should have no problem coming tomorrow."

"I'm so glad!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed with a bounce, followed by a few pranciful trots before falling into an easy pace next to her alicorn friend. The two of them were on their way back to Twilight's library after having spent some time catching up over dinner, the first time the princess had spent more than a few fleeting moments outside the library during her assignment.

Twilight reflected on the evening she had spent with her smiling friend. Pinkie Pie had dragged her out of the house after having spent two weeks straight in studious research for Princess Celestia. She could hardly argue against Pinkie Pie, considering she had declined every other social event the party mare had hosted during the project. And just when she had finally finished allowing herself some room for something other than a book, Pinkie Pie appeared unannounced at her doorstep, her entire evening schedule cleared in last minute effort just to spend some time with Twilight.

With a muffled sigh, Twilight reflected on just how little she had been in contact with her friends lately. _Pinkie can be a little tiresome at times, but it has been a while since I've spent any real time with everypony. But at least the rest of the girls had the decency to give me some space during my assignment..._ Twilight recalled the numerous times her work had been interrupted by the party mare. And while it was mildly annoying and borderline infuriating, all of it was in such good intentions that Twilight found she wasn't able to remain mad at her for long. Usually it was just little things like checking on her if everything was alright, or to see if she wanted to do something fun to cheer her up during a few particularly stressful nights. She, of course, declined any and all offers due to the commitment she always held for anything regarding the princess. But as annoying as Pinkie Pie could be, Twilight couldn't help but appreciate her friend's caring — if not constant — annoying and loving attention. _Leave it to Pinkie to be there when you need a break and some cheer-up time._

"So what's the occasion for this party again?" Twilight asked.

"It's Miss Cake's birthday tomorrow!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

Twilight halted on the spot, a guilty look spreading across her face as she gushed apologetically, "Oh my gosh! Is it really? I can't believe I didn't know. Of course I'll be there!"

Pinkie Pie giggled before speaking over her shoulder, "It's no problem, Twilight. I know you've been really busy with your work. I just thought you might enjoy a nice party with some friends to celebrate a birthday and the fact that you finished your studying. Don't tell Miss's Cake, but tomorrow is a Happy Birthday slash Congratulations on Finishing your Study party!"

Twilight shook her head as she trotted forward and caught up to Pinkie Pie, walking beside her again with her ears lowered and, despite Pinkie Pie's reassurances, still feeling guilty at the thought of almost missing the baker's birthday. "Pinkie, of course I wouldn't miss one of the Cakes' birthdays. It would have been no problem to put aside my studying for one night for something like that."

"I said don't worry about it, Twilight," Pinkie Pie cheerfully replied. "You finished early anyways so it's no problem!"

Twilight gave a small sigh in agreement. "I guess you're right. Still, I would have felt awful if I had missed somepony's birthday that I knew."

"That's why I'm here! Nopony in Ponyville needs to ever worry about accidentally missing another pony's birthday. Not while Pinkie Pie is in town," she exclaimed boldly while throwing a hoof in the air, looking off into the sky with her still-grinning, but determined, expression.

Twilight shook her head in amazement. "Pinkie, I have no idea how you manage to remember every little detail about everypony."

"The same way I also know when a friend is done studying and needs some fun time to relax," she quipped with a wink. Twilight simply shook her head, unable to shake off the smile the infectious mare had given her. With that final say on the matter, a different conversation passed between the two ponies as they walked through town. It wasn't long before they had reached the library and their farewells said and done before Twilight faced the door in hesitation.

Her return to the library dreadfully reminded her of the cleaning she would have to do before anything else. She had left with Pinkie Pie the moment she had finished the project and completely forgot about the mess of books, parchments, and quills left scattered about the tree house.

She looked out across Ponyville as the setting sun cast long shadows across the buildings and trees. A small groan escaped her lips at the thought of having to stay up late to reorganize everything. "So much for getting restful sleep tonight," she mumbled, already feeling tired from just thinking about cleaning the large library..

Sighing at the daunting task ahead of her, Twilight opened the door and walked in, only to let out a small gasp in surprise at the sight before her. Instead of a mess of materials scattered about the room, she was instead met with a neat and spotless library. Not a single book was out of place or a quill left out. Even all of the parchments she had been working on were stacked neatly on the dining table for delivery to the Princess. "Wha-how... huh?" Twilight fumbled, unable to find any appropriate words for the sight.

Before she could express her confusion anymore on the spectacle, Spike jumped out of a nearby hallway with his arms raised.

"Tada!"

"Spike? Did you clean everything?" Twilight asked in disbelief.

"Surprise!" Spike shouted again, gesturing widely at the organized room. "I thought I'd help out since you seemed so frazzled by all the work you've done. So I cleaned everything up so you didn't have to worry about it," he stated proudly.

Twilight's eyes kept glancing back and forth across the room as she walked further into the room, her mouth agape as she looked everything over again and again, still taken aback from what the little dragon had done for her.

"Spike... this was so thoughtful! I can't even describe how thankful I am," she exclaimed happily. Twilight shook her head in disbelief at how she managed to have such a wonderful assistant."This would have taken me hours to finish. I would have been up all night! Oh thank you so much. You have no idea how much better this makes me feel."

Spike dragged his foot across the floor, never failing to miss or appreciate a moment of praise directed towards him. "It was nothing. And to top it off, I'm going to be gone for the night so you can get some undisturbed sleep for the birthday party tomorrow."

"Oh Spike I... what?" Twilight had started with a relieved smile, only to catch herself at that last bit he had mentioned. She raised an eyebrow at the little dragon, who was still dragging his foot across the floor suspiciously. "How did you know about me going to a birthday party tomorrow?" she asked flatly.

Diverting his eyes, he answered, "Well, I was invited to a pre-birthday slumber party and-"

"Pinkie Pie?" Twilight interrupted. A nod from Spike along with a hard-to-suppress smile confirmed the hostess of the party.

Before Twilight could say another word Spike quickly dove into an explanation. "I knew you would finish Princess Celestia's assignment today and that you wouldn't have gotten to cleaning until later tonight anyways. And Pinkie Pie was so excited to hear you were done and-"

"Wait a minute, are you saying you and Pinkie planned everything that happened this evening after I finished my work?" A half smile from the dragon confirmed the question. Twilight looked over her shoulder to the front door, half expecting the party mare to throw it open in a shower of confetti. "I had wondered how she knew exactly when I was done. I just thought it was her being Pinkie Pie but now..." Twilight trailed off from shaking her head at the realization of the setup the two had done. "So you're telling me Pinkie Pie dragged me out and distracted me for the evening purposefully, so you could clean everything up without me?"

"Don't get mad! It actually works out when you think about it. I did all the cleaning so you could relax and get some food in you. And that would give me time to be at Pinkie's slumber party while you catch up on sleep for tomorrow," Spike desperately said in an attempt to convince her it was all for a good reason.

Twilight let out her umpteenth sigh of the evening. Even with night time approaching, she couldn't help but admit she was indeed tired. Cleaning the library all night would have probably prevented her from going to the party or at least make her feel bad for being dead tired from the amount of sleep she would have missed tonight. "I'm not mad, Spike." Twilight let a faint smile spread across her lips. "I guess in some half sense it does make... _sense_. I probably should go to bed early, something I couldn't do if I knew everything was still a mess."

"See, exactly, you need some quiet and alone time."

"And you needed some time to have fun and party?" The guilty look that crossed the dragon's face made Twilight let out a small giggle. "It's fine Spike, you need it anyways. You've been more than helpful during my assignment and deserve some fun for yourself. Especially after cleaning _my_ mess."

Spike relaxed while raising his arms in a gesture. "Well not all of it was your fault, I helped on that part a little bit too." He tried to modestly take some of the blame, but failed with the smugness still showing from the earlier praise.

Letting him revel in a deserved compliment, Twilight walked over and gave the little dragon a hug. "Thanks again." Spike wordlessly returned it with an embrace of his own. 

* * *

Twilight let out a large yawn as she walked up the stairs to her bed, having waved goodbye to Spike, with his packed items in tow for the slumber pre-birthday party, only a minute before. All the lights had been turned out after one more check to see if everything was in its correct place. And when satisfied all was well and orderly within the treehouse, she finally allowed herself to relax as she climbed her way into bed. After a bit of shuffling to get under the covers, she hummed contently. All of the stress of the last few weeks finally pulled away from her as she closed her eyes, letting the comfiness of the bed take her away.

It was only thirty seconds before a tap against a piece of glass broke the peace and quiet of the household. With a look that could kill, Twilight sat straight up in bed while bringing her horn to life. Squinting her eyes, she scanned the room as her purple light pierced the shadows of the house. It had only taken a few passes for her to shine her horn brighter, causing the darkness to meld away before she made out the source of the noise that had repeated during her search. Across the room she saw Owlowiscious standing in front of the window he taped with his beak against. The owl turned his head around in response to the light that revealed him, a look of desperation on his face in his yearning to leave the library and fly out into the night sky.

"Whoooo."

Twilight's frustration immediately died down at the sight of the owl. "Oh I'm sorry Owlowiscious, I didn't know you were still inside. Here, let me get that for you." Her horn flared briefly as she unlocked the window from bed, wrapping it in a glow and opening it wide enough for the owl to comfortably fly through. "I'll leave it open for when you decide to come back."

"Whoooo," the owl responded before hopping onto the sill and taking off into the night.

After watching the owl depart the through the window, Twilight ceased her magic, bringing the library back into a comfortable darkness before letting herself fall back into bed. "Ahhhhh," she softly exclaimed, sure there would be nothing else between her and some much needed sleep for the rest of the night.

* * *

A pair of gleaming eyes peered from the shadows beneath a pair rafters in the two story house. It had been keeping a vigilant watch of the tree house since darkfall, waiting patiently for every resident inside to settle down for sleep. When the dragon had left, it had prepared for departure until the movement of one of the windows caused it to pause. Watching curiously, it quietly waited for leaving owl to take off into the night air before resuming its watch; the unexpected critter having made it decide to proceed more cautiously lest anything else appear within the library.

Only when it had waited for an hour and nothing else had disturbed the silence of the dark house did it dare to open its leathery wings and flit rapidly across the street. The tiny bat quietly flew towards the open window of the tree house, landing on the edge of the sill before becoming still once again.

A few more minutes passed as it listened intently for any noise inside the building. When all was quiet, it hopped over the window threshold and onto the small shelf inside. With a near-silent shriek of echolocation, the little bat scanned the inside of the building. It saw no movement amongst the walls of books or wooden floor, nor the forms of anything that would appear to be a resident potentially awaiting its arrival. Flicking its ears in anticipation, it hopped further along the shelf and flapped its way to the ceiling.

Gripping onto the wooden knots of the ceiling, it let out another silent shriek to scan from the superior position. Its ears twisted this way and that as it focused its hearing towards the outline of the figure that lightly rustled below it. The bed, having been in an elevated part of the house, had been out of sight from the window, but the lying form of a sleeping pony was easily seen from above by the bat, silently regarding her as it waited again in caution. Another few minutes passed before the bat saw the covers move, her hooves shifting beneath the blanket as she turned about in her sleep.

Confident that the movements below were that of a dreaming and unaware pony, the bat opened its wings again and flitted towards the nightstand next to the bed, landing with a faint thunk. The light of the moon shined across the bed from a nearby window. It revealed the sleeping pony's face which faced towards the light, her purple coat holding a soft glow from the moonlight. She held a peaceful expression as she slumbered, her soft breaths hardly moving the blanket atop her.

The bat hopped tentatively towards the pony, pausing with each movement to see if it stirred the mare even in the slightest. With another hop, it left the dresser and landed on the covers, looking warily towards the mare who still slept peacefully, unaware of the little intruder makings it way to her.

Taking no further chances with hopping, the bat gently clawed its way across the blanket and atop the motionless mare. Moving stealthily, it made its way towards her head before pausing at the edge of the blanket. It regarded the face of the pony for a moment as it sat atop her. If one had been close enough to see, they might have spotted a tiny smile flash across its mouth as it looked upon her face.

When the mare let out a mumble in her sleep, the bat decided to do what it had come for, lest she might rustle in her sleep again with it on top. Hesitantly, it reached out with a wing tip, pushing gently to see if its touch would disturbed her. Feeling confident that she was still fast asleep and would not wake, it climbed towards its goal: the pony's neck.

Once in place, it inspected the exposed nape before it. It clung slightly behind her head, still able see the cheeks and eyelashes from the left side of her face in case she should flutter awake. Opening its mouth to reveal tiny fangs, it slowly leaned down and bit into the naked neck of the sleeping pony. Its eyes glanced to the mare's ears, which twitched reflexively from the bite, but nothing else followed in response. With another smile that spread across its full mouth, it sunk its fangs deeper, drinking the mare's blood in silent delight.

 _Oh my… an alicorn's blood is tastier than I imagined._ The bat grinned in ecstasy while plunging its fangs deeper, savoring every drop of her life force it could lap up. The flavor was incomparable to anything else it had ever tasted before. _There is power in this blood. I always thought an alicorn would make a fine subject, but I can only dream of the potential this one has._ The bat's eyes peered towards her ear, watching it flick bemusedly in unconscious irritation. _Your blood will be the key, Princess Twilight._

The little bat laid on Twilight's neck for the better part of an hour, grateful in the fact that not once did she roll over in her sleep. It was not able to drink quickly due to its tiny fangs, but the amount of blood that entered its small body seemed more than even half a dozen bats of its size could hold. It continued to drink gleefully even when she let out small moans of discomfort in her sleep.

Finally, after having its fill, the little bat let go of her neck and began to lick the wound it had caused. _Mustn't take too much. I don't want you to die from the lack of blood. After all, it will take time before you're mine_ , the little bat thought happily, its stomach bloated from the delicious meal. Satisfied the wound was healed as best as possible, leaving only a tiny scar, which a pony would have to look very closely to notice, it hopped off Twilight's neck and crawled to the edge of the bed away from the mare. Opening its wings and flapping few times, it prepared to fly its heavier body across the room and out the window.

However, before it could take to the air, a flurry of feathers descended on top of the furry bat. "WHOOOOOOO!"

Twilight woke to the sound of Owlowiscious whoo's quickly turning to piercing screeches. "Wha-What's going on!?" she cried as bolted upright, a little too quickly she realized, when she suddenly became light-headed from the action. Raising a hoof to her head, she groaned at the odd dizziness while the commotion of flapping and shrieks could be heard all about the room.

Struggling to focus, she weakly flared her horn to life, the strain of magic almost escaping her control from the haze in her head. With effort she was able to reveal the inside of the house with her purple light, and worriedly looked for the source of the noises that was beginning to add to a building headache. Twilight stared in disbelief at the sight of Owlowiscious flying about and screeching madly in hot pursuit of what looked to be a tiny bat. The unfamiliar critter was giving its own angry shriek as it was chased about the house, dodging furious pecks from the furious avian.

"What!? Owlowiscious! What are you doing? It's just a bat, leave it alone!" Twilight shouted before holding her hoof to her head again, her yelling bringing forth another wave of overwhelming dizziness. Owlowiscious, however, ignored her plea completely, being dead set on mercilessly pursuing the furry invader. It managed to scrape the little bats wings somewhat with his talons with a lucky grab here and there, but the little bat refused to give up as it continued to evade most of his attacks with surprising dexterity.

"OWLOWISCIOUS STOP!" Twilight yelled, again ignoring the growing dizziness. The owl paused for a moment to regard her sudden outburst, giving the bat just enough time to make a mad dash towards the window unhindered. Owlowiscious gave a small "whooo" of a curse beneath its breath before chasing after his slipping quarry. But he was too late to reach with his talons as the bat frantically flew out the window and into the night sky. Landing on the window sill with a puffed-out chest, Owlowiscious stared angrily after the bat, giving another "whooo" and daring it to come back again.

"Owlowiscious, what has gotten into you? And why do I feel so light-headed?" Twilight asked desperately, trying to figure out what was happening. She realized she wouldn't receive any answers as the owl continued to stare out into the night, wanting to slap her head were it not for how strange she felt in the expectation that the owl would have replied. With a groan, she laid back in bed, her head thankful to be resting at a comfortable position again. "Of course you're not going to answer, you're an owl... "

With a final sigh for the day, Twilight whispered in annoyance, "So much for getting restful sleep tonight."


	2. Chapter 2

"Mail's here!" Spike shouted as he shut the front door. He had just returned from collecting from the mailbox and was idly shuffling through the stack of letters. Moving absent mindedly towards the dining table, guessing aloud what each envelope contained while tossing them into a pile on the table. "Lets see... RSVP, bills, coupons, bills, RSVP, bills, magazine subscription offer… "

Ever since Pinkie Pie started mailing invitations instead of performing a song-and-dance number, she was quickly matching the quantity of bills. _Why do we still even get bills? Twilight's a princess now. Shouldn't that make it so we're debt-free?_ Spike flared his nostrils recalling the arguments he had gotten into with Twilight, stating that she should be taking at least _some_ of the benefits that came with her new status. But thus far, she'd only become even more of a recluse and shunned nearly every perk of being a Princess. She simply wished to remain the librarian who saved the world now and then and, in her spare time, advance the worlds of magic and science.

While Princess Celestia had hinted that further responsibilities would begin to fall under Twilight's wing, Spike felt that she would delay them as long as possible to continuing living the life she had come to love. _She could at least make it so we don't have to pay for groceries._

"Advertisement, bills, RSVP for what looks like Carrot Top's birthday next week. Hmm, maybe I should get her a new gardening trowel. I don't think her roommate has found out where she accidentally delivered it yet. Coupons, newsletter, loan advertisement, and... what's this?"

Spiked leaned closer to read the tiny print of a particularly blank letter. Only when he read the sender's address did he realize what it was. "Pony Park lane 64... TWILIGHT! It's from the hospital!" Spike held the letter sideways as he attempted to discern its contents. "I think it's the test results!"

"Coming!"

It was only a few short moments before her hooves were heard trotting about the house. She entered the main room just as Spike finished separating the letters into messy piles, eliciting a small scowl from Twilight, who wondered how the same dragon who had cleaned the library spotless earlier this week could still be so disorganized. Deciding to let it slide, she focused on the letter he extended towards her. "It's this one right here."

Twilight magically grasped the envelope and yanked it from Spike's grasp. In one swift motion, she ripped it open and unfolded the letter. Her wings instinctively unfurled in anticipation. However, her brow furrowed as she read the paper once, then twice, just to be sure she read it correctly. After a third time, Twilight's wings drooped in disappointment of its contents, followed by a confused expression across her eyes.

"It says they found nothing unusual... I could've sworn it was something medical." Lost in thought, she levitated the letter back to the table before dropping it atop the messy pile that was the rest of the mail, her mind too focused on the news to realize she had added to the disorganized stack. She was concerned they found nothing after a check up she requested the day after experiencing the mysterious lightheadedness earlier in the week.

In the end, she could only guess that her body was just tired after focusing so hard on her recently completed assignment. The only suspicious thing was she hadn't experienced something like that in quite a few years. She thought she'd built a tolerance to the stress her work ethic caused.

"Well that's good then right?" Spike said, pulling her from her thoughts. "Better to have nothing wrong with you than something, that is." The look on Twilight's face, however, refuted his logic. "Isn't it?"

Twilight sighed. "I guess you're right. It just bothers me that I was so out of it for a couple days. I felt like I ruined Miss's Cake's birthday by not feeling so well at the party."

"Relax, Twilight. Everypony was glad you were there, even if you weren't well enough to join in on some of the games."

"I know, I know," Twilight said, having already undergone this discussion before. "I over worry things. I can't help it. I just... feel like something's off about the whole thing." She headed towards the kitchen with Spike following behind. "It just seems so strange. I wake up to hear Owlowiscious chasing a poor little bat that accidentally snuck through the window I left open, and then I felt so light headed that I was dizzy just from sitting up. And it didn't go away for almost three days!" Twilight grunted in frustration as she opened the fridge to bring out a jar of juice. "Want some?"

Spike hopped onto a tall stool. "Yes please."

As Twilight poured two glasses she continued, "And Owlowiscious is still acting funny. He rarely goes out anymore and just stays near the window. I keep opening it to let him out but he just stays put. I don't understand it."

Spike grabbed the levitating glass floating in his direction. "Maybe he just doesn't want another bat to come in. He might be territorial."

Twilight put everything away before she drank from her glass as well. With a satisfying gulp of the sweet liquid, she exhaled reluctantly. "Possibly. I know some owls are protective of their homes. I just feel bad for the bat that somehow found its way in here and got in a tangle with him. And Owlowiscious acts like he thinks he's going to have another chance again." Twilight, scowled in the direction of the room where the owl slept atop his perch.

Spiked shrugged as he began to drink. As they sipped in silence for some time, a knock came from the front door and interrupted their thoughts. "I'll get it," Spike announced while hopping down from the stool.

Twilight floated Spike's glass to the counter as she took a quick swig of hers, gulping down the sweet juice before setting it down next to his, letting out a happy 'Ah' from the refreshing drink. She tidied up the rest of the kitchen, which was still quite clean from earlier in the week, and no longer held the stacked plates and take out boxes. Giving a small nod at the joy of having a clean house again, she followed Spike to see who knocked on their door. Twilight stepped into the room just as Spike opened the door for their guest.

Their guest however, bounced, rather than walked, into the room.

"Twilight! Spike!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed. "There's a new pony in town! I was just on my way to greet him and thought you two would like to come!"

"A new pony is moving to town?" Twilight watched the still-bouncing mare, her tolerance for the behavior forged from years of experience; Pinkie wouldn't stop until she met the aforementioned pony, and maybe not even for a few hours afterward. But like many things about Pinkie Pie, it only took time for her odd and annoying habits to work their charm and eventually become pleasantly familiar, and even looked forward to.

"Yes! He bought that house on the edge of the forest. You know, the one on the way to Fluttershy's? I'm so happy he did because I've been thinking lately that that house was so sad to look at with nopony living there."

"Wow. He could afford that place?" Spike commented in surprise.

"Wealth aside," Twilight said. "I'm surprised anypony actually moved here. When was the last time that happened?"

"Well there was you and Cranky," Pinkie Pie said, thoughtfully looking up into the ceiling, which either moved closer or further because of her bouncing. "But that was so long ago, and it's been _forever_ since I've thrown a 'Welcome to Ponyville' party. Oh my gosh I'm so excited I can hardly bounce! This almost calls for a pogostick!"

Twilight and Spike found the statement hard to believe, since some of Pinkie's bounces could still clear Twilight's head.

"Cranky... Cranky..." Spike mumbled. "Do you mean that old donkey I see now and then?"

"Mmhm!" Pinkie Pie hummed. "He's the old and bald one. But don't tell him I said that. Especially now that he's got a new wig. Why, you can hardly tell he was ever bald to begin with!"

"So, Pinkie," Twilight said. "You said you were going to meet him?"

"Oh thats right!" Pinkie Pie said, dashing to the door, standing on her hind legs, and throwing her forelegs wide. "What are we waiting for! Let's go welcome him to Ponyville!"

* * *

Twilight, Spike, and Pinkie Pie stood at the edge of the fenced-in yard, watching large stallions move all assortment of boxes, furniture, and other items up the paved front walk and into the house. There were four jam-packed carriages on the street in front of the property and over a dozen movers working quickly to unload everything.

"Wow, lots of stuff," Spike commented as his eyes followed each object that passed them by.

"I think that one's a globe," Pinkie Pie said while motioning to one of the boxes.

"How do you know?" Spike frowned.

"Just a hunch!"

"Hmm, I bet it's a statue. Look how heavy it is. That pony's having a hard time just trying to get it off the carriage."

"Nope. It's a globe."

"Really? Then what about that one?"

"Obviously a lamp!"

"No way! It has to be stool."

Pinkie Pie and Spike made their guessing into a game as they watched the ponies work.

"Ooh! That's a painting!" Pinkie Pie pointed a hoof eagerly in direction of the newest object. All three of their heads followed the two ponies carrying a rather large oil painting wrapped in clear plastic. It was a picture of a mare in what appeared to be old-fashioned clothing posing on a stool, a feathery fan displayed in front of her as if she meant to hide behind it. The frame was trimmed with gold filigree.

"No fair! That one's not even wrapped!"

"Yes it is. It has plastic all around it!"

Spike groaned for even attempting to argue with her, while Pinkie Pie merely shrugged with her usual grin, her tongue barely sticking past her lips. Spike dug his chin into his folded arms while he leaned against the fence, wondering like every other pony in Ponyville if Pinkie was truly aware of how silly she was, or if she was just that innocently simple.

Twilight's eyes moved from the ponies to the house that they were bringing everything into, quietly admiring the large residence's charm. The movers had a good twenty feet of yard-space to walk across every trip, their path leading past a modest garden with a cobbled walk and neatly trimmed hedges. The house itself was larger than most in Ponyville. _Nothing compared to Filthy Rich's mansion,_ she thought. _But still, this house could fit a family of eight. Why would one pony ever need this much space?_

On the roof were two chimney tops, one for the kitchen and the other for a fireplace she suspected. Without even looking inside, she figured it could easily have at least a dozen rooms. Tall, arched windows decorated the front of the house, revealing thin strips of the furniture already inside. Twilight squinted upwards at what was easily the largest window on the property, trying to see past the sun's glare, but the edges of a chaise lounge were all she could make out. Beyond the sofa, she could barely see the top of a bookcases, and a pair of hooves setting rows upon rows of books into the empty shelves.

 _A private study perhaps? Ooh, I hope whoever this pony is holds a passion for reading as well. I would love to see their collection._

The property was located on the edge of town, one of the few buildings on its street that were close to the forest. It wasn't the Everfree, but there still hadn't been many inhabitants near its edge. Because of its size and location, nopony had bought it during Twilight's stay in Ponyville. Thinking back, the grounds were always vacant save for the gardener that came now and then to tend the grounds. He would always say that he was just waiting for some fancy pony from the big city to take notice of his 'charming abode' and move in for retirement or a perhaps a summer home. She could only imagine his excitement when a pony had finally taken interest in the property, and could afford his exuberant price, which left Twilight wondering what kind of pony was moving into their town.

Turning to Pinkie Pie, Twilight asked. "So, where is our new neighbor?"

"I don't know. Let's ask." Pinkie Pie hopped forward a short distance before calling out to one of the nearby movers on his way back to grab more furniture. "Hey mister! Where's the new pony?"

The mover turned his head towards the small group, wiping a bit of sweat off his brow as he responded in a gruff voice, "You mean the owner?" The enthusiastic nod from her was enough clarification. "I think he's still on his way from Fillydelphia. Said that he would meet us here after finalizing a few things. Though I don't think he'll be here till after dark." The mover pony looked towards the sky, frowning at the declining sun. "Probably around four o'clock now. At this rate we'll be here til night too if we don't get a hurry. Excuse me, miss." The stallion nodded to Pinkie Pie, and another to Twilight who was still near the fence. It wasn't everyday one got to see royalty. While he wasn't much for formalities or gushing over high class ponies due to how many times he had moved their stuff, he felt it necessary to at least acknowledge her presence.

Pinkie Pie's face turned to a frown as he went to the back of a carriage to unload the next item. "Awww... I was hoping to see him sooner."

"We'll just have to welcome him tomorrow, I guess," Twilight said, not particularly bothered at the fact. "Spike and I have some stuff to do around the library before dinner anyways."

The two of them were only allowed to leave after they promised Pinkie Pie they would try again tomorrow. With their goodbyes out of the way, Twilight and Spike headed back to the tree house.

"I gotta admit, I'm still wondering who the new guy is," Spike spoke as they walked back. "I mean, look at the house he bought! That place could have probably fit all our books with room to spare. How come we didn't get that house when we moved here?"

"Because," Twilight replied, "the treehouse was already Ponyville public property. We're lucky the mayor lets us live there without rent as long as we continue to run the library since nopony else will. There's no way we could have afforded a house like that when we first moved here."

"Yeah, but Twilight, you're a princess now. Shouldn't you, I don't know, be able to have any house you want? You probably won't even have to pay rent!"

Twilight shook her head. "Spike, just because I'm a princess doesn't mean I'll accept free gifts like that. Honestly, I don't want anyone else treating me different from before. I just want to do what I have been doing ever since we've moved to Ponyville."

"You mean run a library while simultaneously saving all of Equestria now and then?"

"Exactly."

Spike sighed at the fading dream of living in a house that wasn't a tree and had plenty of room to spare for his growing—albeit slowly due to Twilight's monitoring to prevent a repeat of last time—hoard of items.

"Besides," she continued, "the treehouse has some charm to it. It's kinda grown on me since we've been here. Also, what would it even be if we moved the library? All the shelves are cut into the tree itself."

"I suppose that's true..." Spike admitted reluctantly. "It's been a good home I guess." They walked on for a minute before Spike perked up to try one more attempt at convincing Twilight. "But that doesn't mean we couldn't live nearby and walk to it every day."

"Spike, we're not leaving our home," Twilight said as an end to the discussion.

"Speaking of home," Spike spoke as his attention was drawn ahead. "Who's that outside of ours?"

As Twilight and Spike approached the library, they watched an unfamiliar pony attempting to peer through the windows. His head moved about as he tried to look past the reflective glare in a vain attempt to see the inside. Twilight and Spike shared a curious look before moving towards him.

"Um, may I help you?" Twilight asked as they walked up to the pony.

"Yes, it appears the library is closed even though their sign says it's open until seven. Honestly what kind of librarian does that? Would you happen to know–" he paused mid sentence as he realized who he was complaining to.

"P-Princess Twilight!" he quickly said before kneeling. Spike smirked at the sudden change of behavior while Twilight rolled her eyes. If there was one thing she was tired of since becoming a princess, it was the way most ponies acted around her. _It took forever to get just about everypony in Ponyville to stop bowing._

Twilight sucked in a breath and put on a cheerful disposition in spite of her irritation at the gesture. "Please, you don't have to kneel before me. And you can call me Twilight. I would prefer if you dispensed with the formalities mister...?"

"Trail, Princess Twi–, I mean... _Twilight_." He lifted his head in a much calmer demeanor than a few seconds prior. Still kneeling, his head continued to rise until he made direct eye contact with her. When Twilight saw into his eyes she froze.

Everything around her faded away. Her whole focus was on his eyes. Eyes that gripped her entire being and caused her chest to quiver within its grasp. It was as if every part of her being ceased to work for that single moment.

It wasn't a horrible experience, but it wasn't pleasurable either. If anything, she found it confusing and strange a single glance from a pony caused her to halt so suddenly. It was _unnerving_ to be caught completely off-guard in a way she didn't know was possible. There were no feelings or thoughts to accompany the moment, only the sensation of everything slipping away and leaving only his eyes the moment they had made contact with hers. For that one moment, everything else was irrelevant save for his stare.

After they exchanged looks, he slowly rose to all fours. If time stopped when they had made eye contact, it came to a crawling pace while he stood up. In a heightened state of focus from the sudden sensation of his eyes, she was able to make out each detail of him in the second it actually took for him to stand.

The black coat that defined his form was dark as coal. It lacked the usual sheen brought out by the sunlight. His long silver mane hung elegantly about him, long strands falling down the side of his head in a way that would cause even the highest of fashion-focused ponies to halt at the sight him. His body was lean, without a trace of fat; if anything he seemed a little thin at places, but it didn't compromise his authoritative posture.

Red cuffs adorned his forehooves, an ash-colored tie hanging neatly at his neck, and a pair of reading glasses perched on his nose. The eyes that had stopped the world for an instant were colored a sanguine red.

With his movement, Twilight was able to make out a cutie mark, a crescent moon matching the color of his eyes with small horseshoe prints below it. It looked liked a pony had left a trail of hoofprints underneath a red moon on his flank.

For him, even the simple act of standing up held composure and regality so great, Twilight knew few ponies who could match it. "Midnight Trail, but I prefer that ponies simply call me Trail, your _highness_."


	3. Chapter 3

_I meet a stranger the other night,_  
 _His sudden appearance causing a fright,_  
 _But he assured me quickly, the he meant no harm,_  
 _And so I believed him, and never saw the dawn._

Twilight was at a loss for words for the stallion before her. She didn't know what to say, feel, or even think as he stared expectantly towards her for a response to his introduction. What was beginning to develop into an awkward silence was thankfully broken by Spike speaking first.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Spike," he said without care, oblivious to Twilight's frozen composure.

Trail turned his head to look at the little dragon, while smiling, the ominous atmosphere that had engulfed Twilight's moments before now vanishing like an afterthought as his attention focused on Spike. "A dragon? How academically wonderful!" Trail coughed into his hoof to recompose himself for another introduction. "It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance as well, Spike," he said in cheery disposition.

Twilight remained quiet and motionless as the two exchanged greetings. Still shaken by the moment that had passed between her and the stallion, she hadn't noticed Spike poking her until a rather painful jab broke her out of thought. "Uh, Twilight?"

"Wha—oh! Sorry," Twilight quickly said, her cheeks holding a touch of pink.

Trail leaned forward. "Are you alright, Twilight? You seem preoccupied, is now a bad time?"

Twilight shook her head in reply. "I'm fine. Just a little... tired, that's all. What was it you were looking for?"

Trail's face quickly returned to the frustrated mood—though at a more respectable level with a princess near him—they had met him with as he waved a hoof at the library. "The library is closed even though their time says they should be open. I don't know how ponies conduct business here, but I, for one, become greatly bothered when I am not able to peruse books."

"I'm sorry, I hadn't intended to be gone for so long," Twilight said apologetically. As the conversation became more casual, the intense atmosphere from before faded into an afterthought for Twilight.

Trail's eyes went wide as he processed what she had said. A flash of panic passed over him. "Y-you mean to tell me that _you're_ the librarian?" The look on his face showed desperation that she was not the owner of the establishment.

"Yes, I am."

Trail immediately knelt again, this time spouting apology after apology. "My sincere apologies, Princess Twilight! I had no intention of disrespect to you or your library! Please forgive me!"

He continued apologizing profusely and asking forgiveness, not allowing Twilight a chance to stop him. It only took moments before his actions drew the attention of other ponies. Twilight felt a wave of embarrassment as the everypony's eyes turned towards at her and the kneeling pony that still was babbling apologies.

Unable to handle the growing attention, Twilight used her magic to quickly lift Trail onto his hooves. Before he could speak again, she pushed him into the library, wiping the dirt off his tie and cuffs while blurting, "Okay that's plenty, thank you! We should probably go inside and get you a book! We can't have anypony not being able to get a book when they need it, right?" Twilight nervously laughed. "Lets go in now and get you a book!"

After they had hurried inside with Twilight's laughter and pushing, she slammed the door and let out a deep breath. Trail looked towards her with confusion at the alicorn's hasty hustle before asking hesitantly, "Did I do something wrong?"

Calming down from the embarrassing scene,Twilight replied, "Yes. Well, no. I just don't like being treated like that in public. Or at all for that matter. Still getting used to the whole 'princess' thing."

"Oh, well I am very sorry. I didn't mean to bother you such. I was just trying to be as courteous as I could be. Like you said, you are a princess, an... alicorn."

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "You call groveling in the dirt at my hooves courteous?"

This time it was Trail that became embarrassed. He rubbed one forehoof against the other. "No, I don't suppose that would classify as being courteous. My deepest apologies for my... apologies. It's just I have never meet royalty before having lived in Fillydelphia."

"You're from Fillydelphia?" Twilight's mind was already matching up the pieces.

"Why yes, allow me to introduce myself again." With a small bow, the stallion said once more, "My name is Midnight Trail, and I am a therapist. I have spent a number of years of getting into ponies minds to treat symptoms and disorders as well as lending an ear. I am qualified for colts, fillies, stallions, mares, and I prefer Pearl Grey Tea."

"Don't you mean Earl Grey Tea?"

"I like to add a fair amount of cream, so I call it _Pearl_ Grey Tea. As you can imagine, it takes on a, well, pearl-like appearance," Trail replied before chuckling.

Twilight and Spike exchanged a brief glance, not finding the comment nearly as amusing implied. _A little unusual, but seems friendly enough,_ she thought. All traces of the stallion's intimidating presence had vanished throughout the course of their conversation, causing her to wonder if she had just imagined the tense atmosphere to begin with. Now whenever he spoke, it was like he couldn't contain his excitement. It reminded of her of a certain pink pony she knew.

"So, I take it you are our new neighbor then?" she asked even though she was more than confident of the answer now.

"Why yes!" Trail replied with surprise. "I just recently purchased some property in Ponyville and was moving in today. How in Equestria did you know that?"

"We stopped by your home to welcome you to the town, but the movers said that you probably wouldn't show up until later tonight."

Trail nodded. "Ah yes, I mentioned that to the company. I gave them the key to the house to start without me just in case I was late. You see, I had a few final affairs to settle before leaving Fillydelphia, but thankfully they did not take as long as I thought."

"However, I must say," Trail continued, "the thought of you coming to welcome me personally is a little flattering. I don't think I have ever had somepony so prestigious welcome me before."

"Well, we don't get many ponies moving here, so it's only natural to say hello to a new resident. But to be honest, we had no idea you were moving to Ponyville until Pinkie Pie told us."

"Pinkie Pie?"

"Don't worry, you'll meet her soon enough. I'll see you again at the party," Spike chimed in.

"Oh, I see."

The three of them stood around for a moment, neither of them sure what to say next. Once again, it was Spike who broke the silence. "So what book were you looking for?"

"Oh yes of course!" Trail replied before turning to look upon the many shelves lining the library. "You see, I've sort of adopted the habit of purchasing a new book whenever I do something as significant as moving." His eyes played over the various titles. "I would love nothing more than breaking in the new house with something I haven't read prior. Although, I dare say that I have found it increasingly difficult as time goes on, due to the amount that I read during my spare time. I suppose sometimes I like to think moving as an excuse to get another."

Twilight perked up as he examined the rows of books. _Now **this** is something I can work with_. A smile forming at the idea of another pony who might read as much as her, she trotted to Trail's side as he continued browsing. "Well, we have a large selection to choose from. Any particular genre or topics?"

"I'll read just about anything: comedy, action, romance, technical manuals, and theories." Trail followed a row of books as he talked. "But if I had to choose one thing… You wouldn't perhaps have anything on mythology, would you?"

"Mythology?" Twilight raised a hoof to her chin in thought. For a moment, she was silent, and her eyes drifted towards a row of books near the ceiling. A smile appeared on her face as she spotted the shelf that contain the genre he was looking for. "Yes, I believe we have a few that you might be interested in." She motioned for Trail to join her as she walked towards the bookshelf.

With a glow of her horn, a dozen books off the top row were wrapped in a purple hue and brought down to eye level. Turning them about, she floated them in front of Trail; showing the titles of each book while keeping them separated and in order.

Trail leaned forward to inspect each book, mumbling beneath his breath as he read off the various titles. "Old Mare's Tales, Fantastical Forgotten Legends, Mystifying Creatures..."

Trail's voice dropped to a barely audible mumble as he continued to read the covers. As he moved down the line, he paused when one caught his eye. Flipping open its front page, he quickly inspected its table of contents. A grin formed on his face after a once over, and he reached for the book. "I think this will do nicely. 'Thousand-Year Old Tales' sounds right up my alley. Nothing like seeing each authors opinion of history."

Twilight floated the rest of the selection back to its proper shelf, a satisfied look on her face at accomplishing once again, finding the perfect book for a customer. "If you like old mythology, then that one should be just perfect. To be honest, I wish I had it earlier when I first moved to Ponyville."

"Oh? And why might that be?" Trail said as he flipped through the book idly.

"As you know, the Mare in the Moon is a thousand-year old legend that turned out to be real. Nightmare Moon escaped her prison and threatened to plunge all of Equestria into eternal darkness. Thankfully, the books I had at the time were enough to help my friends and me in defeating her, turning her back into Princess Luna."

Twilight vacantly stared in reminiscence of the first time she had come to Ponyville, vividly recalling the adventure and experiences she and the girls had shared. Her attention was brought back as Spike spoke.

"Geez, that was a long night," Spike said. "It threw off my sleep schedule for a week! With the sun not coming up until hours later and all."

Twilight giggled. "Funny how the longest day of the year turned out to be the shortest."

Annoyed by the memory, Spike asked, "Why didn't Princess Celestia keep the sun up for a little longer? Maybe then the day could have gone on as normal."

"Spike," Twilight replied with a narrowed glare. "You know full well the consequences of keeping the sun or moon out longer than they need to be. Besides, Princess Luna had just returned and it would have been unfair to hold off her night for any amount of time."

"Even if she held off the sun first?"

"Even if she held off the sun first," Twilight replied in a tone that meant the end of the discussion. "Honestly Spike, you need to think of how things will affect other ponies more often. We don't want a repeat of that growing incident do you?"

"No..." Spike answered as he crossed his arms.

Satisfied, Twilight turned to Trail to talk further about the book he had selected. But she paused when she saw his eyes widened and his mouth hanging open slightly. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

Trail shook his head in response as he recomposed himself. "No it's... talking about Nightmare Moon and the princess so casually is... just a bit to take in. But I suppose you are an Element Bearer and a princess to top it off. I understand that it might be a normal conversation for you and the residents of Ponyville but for somepony who doesn't live here, well, it would catch one off guard."

"Oh!" Twilight said in realization. "I'm sorry. I guess I forget sometimes that other ponies aren't used to it. To be honest, I haven't traveled across Equestria much, so I'm always around ponies that are normally involved."

"Then you might be surprised of the gossip that floats around Fillydelphia." Trail chuckled. "Everypony somehow manages to slip in talk of the powerful Element Bearers that reside in Ponyville, fending off untold dangers and threats. Some of them even have come to think that Ponyville is the first line of defense against any threat, as they seem to happen so often here."

"First line of defense? Ponyville?" Spike asked, already chuckling at the notion.

"Absurd, isn't it?" Trail an replied with a chuckle. "I couldn't believe it the moment I laid my eyes on this place. I know Ponyville has had its fair share of events. But honestly, some of the things ponies fuss about would cause any sane pony to giggle. Why, just the other day, I overheard that Manehattan suffered a power outage due to some sea monster attack, when in fact it was just some crabs that had snipped a few cables for a _single_ building."

Spike and Nathan laughed together as they shared over-the-top tales. Twilight pitched in now and then, but she mostly stood back and watched the two laugh. For her, seeing a pony talk so casually to Spike was a nice sight, and an experience he did not have often save for the ponies who had grown accustomed to him.

During their discussion, Twilight took the time to observe Trail. The color of his coat was the first thing to catch her attention, since black was not a common color for ponies. In fact, she knew the gene for black coats had become extinct over six hundred years ago. _Maybe he dyed it, the cities are known for stuff like that_. His silver mane however, wasn't too out of place. If anything, he had it longer than what she figured most stallions preferred. _Mane extensions?_

But for some reason she couldn't quite place a hoof on, his general appearance made him seem older than what she assumed he was. Some parts of him such as his face were that of an adult stallion, while everything else appeared more aged or thin. It was, in fact, the subtle differences about his body that kept Twilight's eyes moving back and forth, not entirely sure what it was about him that felt so off. Her focus however, returned to the conversation when Spike asked him why he had left Fillydelphia.

"Actually, the gossip is why I decided to come to Ponyville."

"Why would that make you want to come here?" Spike asked.

"Ponies living in a town constantly on the verge of destruction? That is exactly what my line of work could thrive in!" Trail said.

Twilight opened her mouth to ask what it was he did exactly again, before recalling he had already explained. _Right, therapist. That does make sense I guess. Come to think of it, I never thought about the mental health of everypony in Ponyville. With the disasters and monsters we have experienced, maybe it is something that could be needed. I wonder how everypony has been coping with everything?_

"Excuse me, but are you alright?" Trail asked Twilight.

"Huh, what?" Twilight blurted.

Spike rolled his eyes as he answered for her again, "Don't worry about it. Twilight gets lost in her thoughts a lot."

Twilight shot a glare at Spike and opened her mouth to retort. Trail however, spoke before either of them. "Is there any place better to be lost in?" Twilight and Spike exchanged glances before looking at him questioningly. "The mind is a wondrous place, after all! It contains the essence of who every pony is, and who they can be. It is the gateway to a pony's emotions, and if you look deep enough, their very soul. If you ask me, I'd rather be lost in my own thoughts than on any dirt road or spooky forest."

Spike was at a loss for words for a moment before slowly responding, "I guess. I never thought about it that way..."

Twilight beamed. _That is a great way to look at it!_

"And with that insight, I'm afraid I must request my absence. If that is alright with you Pri— I mean, Twilight! Almost said it again, my apologies."

"It's fine," she said, rolling her eyes quickly. "I'm sure you have a lot to do with your new house. If you need anything just ask. And you don't need my permission to leave."

"I suppose I will have to get used to that," Trail said with an embarrassed smile. "If only some of my clients in Fillydelphia could see me now though. Casually talking to a princess! And on a first name basis!"

* * *

Afterwards, Spike had fetched a bag for Trail's new book, and with goodbyes said, he departed the library. As he left, he invited Twilight and Spike for dinner once he had settled into his new home. Both of them agreed, Spike a little more quickly at the mention of some northern mist sapphires Trail had laying around that he said he wouldn't mind parting with.

With the promised engagement set, Trail proceeded to make his way to his new residence, greeting ponies along the way and stopping for a quick, idle chat when he was able to. If his uncommon coat color did not hold the attention of passing ponies, his introduction of being the town's new therapist grabbed their interests. Most of the ponies he spoke with confessed they had never even thought about seeking help for any mental problems, but his assurance that every customer's visit was confidential and would only serve as a checkup with additional appointments if necessary made more than some curious.

The rest of the way back was spent admiring the town itself in the evening sun. Everything was bright, cheery, and welcoming. Considering the town's reputation, it wasn't quite what he had expected when he had first laid eyes on the town.

As he approached his front lawn, one of the lead moving ponies paused to greet him. They exchanged details of the trip and where the movers had left everything they unloaded. Trail voiced a few changes on where some items would be deposited, thanked them for their assistance, and walked up the front path and into his home.

Some hours later, the last of the items was unloaded and placed within the house. A quick exchange of paperwork and signatures was given before the movers tipped their hats, and departed while wishing him good luck in his new home.

Trail watched from the doorway as the ponies left on their carriages, their silhouettes disappearing down the road. It was well past sundown when they left, and the only source of light was the bright windows of the homes of Ponyville.

Trail had set up a few candles around the first floor, bringing in for the first time in months lights in the windows of the house. Shadows from objects still wrapped in sheets bounced across the room as the candles flickered. Everything except a few large items still needed to be unpacked, something Trail figured he would surely spend all day tomorrow doing.

Trail then made his way up to the second floor of the house, which still remained shrouded in darkness. Silently, he made his way over floorboards that should have creaked, passing through halls that should have been too dark for a pony to navigate, a shadow amongst shadows.

It was not long before he stepped into a grand room with a large window opposite the door, revealing a wide view of the town. Moving towards it, he regarded the quaint scene before him: The soft glow of lights from windows cutting across the shadows of the streets, tuffs of smokes rising from chimneys, and the muffled voices of the few ponies still walking about. It was, without a doubt, a pleasant night in Equestria.

"Quite the charming little town here. I must say, it's not what I had in mind." Trail watched as two ponies passed by on a evening walk, their heads turned to the lit rooms of the house that normally remained dark and empty. "It seems that the lifestyle of everypony here is safe and peaceful, even with the dangers of the Everfree forest threatening them, albeit less than they used to. They hold no fears in their hearts, or worries in their minds, save for the daily grind. Much more... _relaxed_ , than what it used to be."

Trail's eyes closed as he drew his focus inward. After a few moments of inward concentration, he exhaled and postured himself into a more regal stance. While his body had remained the same, his composure and presence took on a drastic change. If it wasn't for his coloring, a pony would have thought him to be somepony completely different than the cheerful 'therapist' trotting about earlier that day. Even the atmosphere itself had changed with his new demeanor. And when he opened his eyes, his red pupils flashed momentarily and he looked out into the town again.

After a sigh, he spoke in a low tone, all traces of his high inflections or random volume increase in his sentences gone. "That persona is tiresome at times, too excitable for my taste. But I suppose it is needed for this."

He faintly smiled at the day's events. _The power of an alicorn's blood still astounds me. The little that I had drank from her earlier easily powered the magic for me to walk in sunlight without difficulties. It seems I no longer have to go through the trouble of rounding up over a dozen ponies and draining them of all their blood. I can only imagine the difficulty of such a thing in today's time._

Trail's smile faded at that last thought. "Today's time..."

Watching a happy couple walk down the street caused Trail to scowl. "The ponies of today have no idea of what it was like a thousand years ago. They know not of the fear that would freeze their hearts, despair that would ruin even the bravest of heroes, or the sacrifices one would make just to even survive. They only know of the carefree days of Celestia's rule."

His gaze adjusted to focus on the faint reflection in the window, his red eyes staring back at him from darkness; eyes that have haunted him since the day he had walked down the path he intended to repeat.

"Celestia... you have certainly accomplished what you set out to do. I commend you for that. And in the end, your sister was able to join you after all. I imagine you are very happy with this world you have created, a place where everypony can live in relative peace. You also had done well in glossing over the past, much lighter in tone than what I remember."

Trail stared out across the town as he reminisced, watching the lights of homes flicker out one by one as the ponies went to sleep. He ran over the events from so long ago that eventually led him to why he was here now, and his tongue licked the tips of his fangs at the thought of the potential that laid before him. Laughing softly, he spoke aloud again. "All of Equestria is open to me now. Sombra was vanquished, and the other shepherds remain sealed who knows where, leaving only the sisters to deal with."

"Celestia and Luna, while _you_ might have refused my offers, I think your new royal sister will find it more difficult to pass the opportunity. She knows not of the forces that once walked this land. She is unprepared, vulnerable, and so… _tempting_. Just the thought of tasting her blood again stirs a fire that I have not known in such a long time. Its texture, flavor, and power... "

The night scene suddenly became brighter as a dim white light flooded the land. Looking up, he saw the moon beginning to peek behind wisps of clouds and steadily climb into the sky. "Oh Luna, how I missed your light. The only consistent source I would draw comfort from during those times. As you imagine, I was quite pained about your refusal to join me. How we could have ruled together still burns my thoughts from time to time. You could have been a true Princess of the Night, to walk its shadows without fear, powerful and singular. You would have even been able to resist that _thing_ that whispered to you while you dreamed, haunted your waking thoughts,and eventually turned you into another monster of the night. But as that delightful mare I chanced across, _c'est la vie_."

Trail remained at the window for some time, watching as it vanished behind another row of clouds that drifted across its face. "I wonder… How will the raising of the moon work when there is a second Princess of the Night."


	4. Chapter 4

_One week later…_

"Welcome! Please, come in and make yourself at home," Trail greeted. He stepped aside while opening the door, giving a small bow as Twilight and Spike entered. The two of them replied their thanks, and looked about the watched his two guests expectantly as he closed the door, taking in pride at the fact that they were looking about his home in interest.

"I have to say," Twilight said as she spied the open rooms within sight and their various decor. "This house is really nice. If I hadn't been placed at the library when I first moved here, I might have scooped this place up." Twilight immediately winced afterward from a claw poke from Spike. She returned the gesture with a glare.

Trail moved next to them and proudly waved a hoof in the air. "It is quite the home, especially after I got everything settled in place. It took me a full day, but I managed to get everything where it should be. I know you only saw a part of the house and my items during Miss Pinkie's party, but I assure you, it is more lovely and charming without streamers and confetti."

"I have to admit, I was surprised at the time to hear it was going to be at your house. Normally she hosts them at her work because its much more convenient. If she had been to pressing, you could have told me."

"Nonsense, it was my pleasure to welcome everypony into my home. And Miss Pinkie was right, this 'gloomy house' needed to be celebrated-in for finally being open."

"Oh dear, she didn't actually call it that did she?"

"It's fine, I assure you," Trail replied honestly.

"I just wanted to make sure it wasn't bothersome for you. I know Pinkie can be... a little enthusiastic at times. And we had left a large mess…"

"And if you recall I insisted that you leave it. Miss Pinkie and I were capable enough to set everything back in order. She was wonderful through and after as the party cleaner. She was thorough enough to not leave a speck of glitter or confetti, and she even made a batch of cupcakes just for me after everypony left! Oh they were fantastic, I wish I saved some for later."

"That's Pinkie Pie," Spike said.

"She certainly is a delightful mare," Trail continued. "I imagine she is very well practiced with parties from what I saw."

"You have no idea," Twilight and Spike said at the same time.

"Speaking of which," Spike said. "Why are you still calling her miss? Didn't she ask at party that she asked you to just call her Pinkie."

"It's merely a habit of mine. When in company of the aforementioned company, I address them as they request. But when they are not present, I still retain a very formal and polite reference, and will continue to address the spoken individuals as Miss or Mister. I am a professional after all, and I must retain proper appearance," Trail said proudly.

"That's really weird," Spike said, only to momentarily receive a hoof smack on the head by Twilight.

Trail chuckled as he begun to move towards the dining room. "Please follow me, dinner is just about ready. I have a lovely salad prepared for us, Twilight. And of course those sapphires I promised for you as well, Spike. In fact, I prepared each sapphire differently based on some recipes I had. I've never had use for them before of course, but I've always wanted to try them."

"Aw yes!" Spike exclaimed before hurrying in after Trail to grab a seat at the table. It was the same large wooden table that held three punch bowls and over a dozen gifts from the party only a few days before. But tonight, it held a simple bowl of fruit and some coasters on its polished surface. It easily held enough room for eight ponies to eat on, and looked like it had seen its fair share of use from the tiny scuff marks on the edges. The table itself had intricate details carved into its trim and legs, much like the rest of the furniture in the house, each of them much more extravagant than most of the furniture in Ponyville.

Twilight noted little details like these as she sat next to Spike. "I am curious," she called out to Trail who had continued moving into the adjacent room that she assumed was the kitchen. "How do you have recipes on preparing gems for dragons? I don't think I've ever seen a book that covered something like that before."

"I wouldn't be surprised," Trail called back. "Hold on just a moment!" A few seconds later, a large crash and banging noise was heard from the kitchen, followed by a muffled grumble. Twilight and Spike exchanged a glance before turning back towards the doorway.

"Uh, Trail?" Twilight called out. "Are you okay?"

"Fine! I'm fine! Just... a little misstep, that's all!" he shouted back. Moments later, Trail appeared through the doorway with a push cart, his hind leg shaking off a ladle that had fallen onto his back. After delivering an angry glare to the kitchen tool, he lifted his head up high and directed the cart towards the table with his hooves. It held atop of it two bowls of salad, one bowl of blue sapphires, and three glasses of water.

Trail paused when he arrived at the table, then as pompously as he could spoke, "Dinner... is served." Trail let out a bemused chuckle at his waiter impersonation, oblivious to the silent responses of his two guests. "Apologies for the delay, here they are now. This one is yours Twilight, this is yours Spike, and the last one is mine."

Twilight and Spike both gave their thanks as Trail pushed the cart away after laying out the dinner. He then sat opposite of the table from them, a gleam in his eye at being able to make something special for his guests.

"Now as I was saying, I wouldn't be surprised if you hadn't seen a book like that before. I hold a very rare collection, some of which you will not find anywhere else in Equestria. Oh Spike, before you dig in, let me tell you which one is which," Trail diverted as seeing Spike's hungry eyes.

"That one right there has been chilled all day in the freezer, to simulate the cold weather the Blue Northern Mist sapphires are normally found in. So you will find that one best suited as the dessert of the four. This one, has been subjected to certain vibrational frequencies with the help of tuning forks. It supposedly helps draw out the flavor and adds a more, how would you say... a glass like crunch to it?"

"That sounds delicious!" Spike nearly shouted. "Glass texture gems are always the best!"

Trail let out a chuckle at Spike's anticipation and increasingly growing eyes. "Well I hope so, I certainly wouldn't able to tell. Oh, and the one with the greenish hue to it, that one I sprinkled crushed emerald dust onto it. I read those two gems mixed together bring about a fine flavor, I trust you like emeralds?"

"Definitely!"

"Fantastic! And the very last one, it was subjected to a slow heat in the oven. Nothing really special, but it is supposed to add a pleasant warmth to it. I recommend eating that one first and ending with the chilled one."

Spike licked his lips, catching the small drop of drool that had began to trickle down his chin. The longer he stared at the gems and heard about how each one was prepared, the hungrier he grew to finally eat them. His stomach rumbled for the tasty gems like he hadn't had a bite in a week. "Can we eat now?" he blurted out.

"In due time, first I need to explain how I prepared the salads. A very long and lengthy explanation for that. You wouldn't believe were the plants I used originated from," Trail said, giving Twilight a sly wink.

Spike's face fell at hearing that he would have to wait longer before being able to taste the gems. "But-but... I wouldn't want them to lose their temperature!"

The two ponies stared silently at his pleading face before they couldn't hold it anymore, and they both broke out into playful laughs.. "Of course you can eat it now!" Trail exclaimed. "I just wanted to see how big your eyes could grow. Go on, dig in!"

Both ponies held off their remaining giggles as Spike bit into the various gems immediately, nibbling each one first to see how they tasted. The look on his face as he sampled them was one of pure bliss and delight.

"Well the salads look just as delicious," Twilight said, smiling how how much Spike was enjoying his dinner. While she had never tasted a gem herself, she had come to know which ones he liked the most based on his reactions while eating them. And she could tell, that he was enjoying them immensely. .

"Thank you very much," Trail replied. "Now, let us join our scaly friend in some dinner.

* * *

"If I may, would it be possible to see your collection?" Twilight asked after dinner. Ever since Trail had mentioned his book collection, she had been waiting politely for an opportunity to ask further about what he held in his possession, and if possible, browse it as well.

"Of course!" Trail replied quickly. "I forgotten to have shown it to you earlier, what with the party and all. It's upstairs in my study slash workroom." After putting away the last of the dishes, he lead them towards the stairs and continued to speak as they moved up them. "Miss Pinkie originally wanted the party to be in the study room due to its size. But since it's where I do my work, I wanted it to remain private and isolated from the world. I can't have any potential clients imagine the room a place other than— OOF!" Trail moaned, having slipped on a step and fallen forward onto the stairs.

"Are you okay?" Twilight asked quickly.

"Fine, I'm fine. Just... still a little clumsy I'm afraid." Trail lifted himself off the ground and laughed nervously, "If you hang around me long enough, you'll find that I'm not the most coordinated of ponies."

"Don't worry," Spike said reassuringly. "There's plenty of ponies in Ponyville that bump around accidentally. There's this one mare who delivers mail, you wouldn't believe the goof ups she can make."

"Yeah, she can goof up _alright,_ " Twilight said sarcastically, recalling the same mare was also responsible for the large and heavy pegasus's household items to fall from the sky onto a certain unicorn at the time who was directly below.

Trail gave another one of his small chuckles that he frequently did, always finding some amusement in just about everything. "Maybe she should visit me sometime. I have been successful with a few ponies before in correcting clumsiness. I believe most of the time it's from the lack of concentration. A pity I can't seem to do it to myself."

Spike raised an eyebrow as he asked, "How would you fix clumsiness?"

After reaching the top of the stairs, Trail led them down twisting hallways, ever closer towards the study Twilight was growing eager to see with each moment. "You see, while I am a therapist, I specialize in a particular type of therapy. I found it to be quite useful during my career and capable of astounding results. Although most of my clients are a little resistant to it at first, what with not believing it to be real."

"Believe what to be real?" Twilight asked.

"Why Hypnotherapy of course!"

"Really?" Spike said flatly, nearly stopping in place. "Isn't hypnosis all fake and stage acting?"

Trail's cheery tone dropped to a low frustration as he replied, "Now see, it's ponies like you... I mean, dragons...I mean... you know what I mean! That are _misinformed,_ on what hypnosis actually is. I assure you, that when done by a professional, that it is a real and practical form of therapy with results. You could ask my clients back in Fillydelphia and they will tell you the same. Most of them were neighsayers at first, but after a few sessions, they improved greatly. Ah, here we are."

They paused in front of a pair of double doors. With a small cough and pause for dramatic effect, Trail pushed opened both doors and moved aside to let them in before him.

Twilight gave a small gasp at the sight of the room as she entered. Opposite of the doorway from where they stood and across the floor, was a large window that looked out onto Ponyville. It was as tall as the room itself and reminded her of a small version of the large wall windows she had back in her Canterlot suite before moving to Ponyville. The room itself was built wide, with its walls extending past the doorway on both sides, creating a rectangle room shape with the doorway in the middle of its length. Decorating the room was a wide assortment of objects: Globes, a desk, fancy carpet, drawers, a few filing cabinets, and the typical chaise chair set facing away from a more comfier looking chair.

But what caught Twilight's eye more was of course, the books. Each section of the walls was covered in rows of books. The shelves filled the entire wall space from floor to ceiling. With a grin she was barely able to contain, she quickly walked towards the nearest shelf and began to browse. _Not only is this an amazing room of books, the best part is I don't even recognize half of them!_

"Oh my gosh, where did you find all these? I've never heard of some of these titles before," Twilight excitedly shouted out as she walked down the particular row she was on.

Trail walked to the center of the room, a proud smile that he didn't even try to hide spreading across his face. "I may be from Fillydelphia, but I've done my fair share of traveling. As I said, I like to collect books. Rare ones if possible. I've been doing it ever since I inherited my grandfather's belongings. In fact, most of the items in this house where once his, which he inherited himself from an older family member. It's something my family have been doing for generations, passing down history to another."

Spike paused from spinning a globe on its axis as Trail finished his sentence. As gently as he could, he slowed it down to a standstill and stepped away with nervous laugh.

"That makes more sense," Twilight said; her eyes still glued to the collection in front of her. "I noticed some of the your furniture to belong to some famous crafting ponies. Some of it even looked to be of Norchevez Woodmane design."

Trail's proud smile vanished in surprise at the her knowledge. "You- you recognized Woodmane's works?"

"I've read about him before in Origins of Antique Furniture. He was considered to be the father of Scandiequinen furniture design. Most of his works were blessed by unicorns so they would be preserved over the years. I've never seen a real piece before tonight, thankfully I remembered he used more of a ' _jevn kurve_ ' design, rather than the popular ' _ujevn kant_ ' at the time. Besides some of these books, I'm sure your furniture is worth a fortune alone! His last piece I believe was finished over one-thousand and a hundred years ago."

Trail's stunned expression slowly turned into one of amusement as he shook his head. "Twilight Sparkle, you do amaze me. It takes a good eye to pick out things like that."

"Well I only recognized it tonight, now that they weren't covered in streamers and confetti! Honestly you should have never let Pinkie Pie have a party with such antiques around! For Celestia's sake there was sherbet cake spilled on the chairs!"

"Oh it's no problem," Trail said waving a hoof dismissively. "What use is something if you aren't afraid to get it dirty and scuffed up now and then. And besides, Miss Pinkie was able to clean every smudge and stain that was left over."

Twilight still held a frown on her face as she replied; her eyes having not left the rows of books yet, "Still, next time I'm inspecting a ponies house before Pinkie gets there. I can't in good faith allow more rare history be used in such a way. I'm sure your grandfather would be very upset at them being used like this."

"Well they weren't all passed down to me. Some of them I purchased myself," Trail said while putting a hoof onto a antique lamp desk, admiring its wooden detailing on the drawers.

"You must have saved up for such a long time to obtain them," Twilight remarked. "Like I said, some of this stuff is worth a fortune."

Laughing as he always did he replied with a knowing eye, "Well in my line of work, you meet certain ponies. And sometimes those ponies can be great boons if you do you job well. I must admit, some of the bits that helped purchase the various items I did not already possess were generously donated by a benefactor I had acquired in Fillydelphia. He was such a fan of my work that he even contributed to the expanses of my moving here to Ponyville."

"Wow, you got to be good thing to get a rich pony on your side," Spike commentated. His impressed expression changed into a frown as he spoke, "Surprisingly we don't get nearly as much as I think we should."

Still scanning the shelves intently as she half listen in on the conversation, Twilight's eyes suddenly lit up as she spotted a certain title. "Ooo, is this the book you got the recipes from?"

"Ah yes, Draconian Delights," Trail replied moving to join her.

"Let me see too!" Spike cried as he rushed over.

Twilight turned to the room with the book held a short distance away so the three of them could see together, its pages turning one by one by her magic. Spike's eyes intently followed each recipe on its pages, his stomach almost growling again at the idea of eating some of the dishes the book held. "Oh my gosh! That looks looks great! No, that one too! Oh oh! Can we have that one next time?"

"Spike," Twilight said interrupting him. "Some of these look difficult to prepare, and we don't even have the correct gems right now. Maybe we can jot a few of the simpler ones down and make them for you when we are able to gather everything for it."

"Can't we just borrow it?" Spike asked insistently.

"No! We can't borrow a book like this! Do you even have any idea how valuable this could be? You know we couldn't find anything about dragons, and this one somehow knows what their favorite treats are!" Twilight exclaimed.

Spike's face fell as he dragged a claw on the floor, "I guess you're right." Turning to the stallion Spike pleadingly asked, "Trail, would it be to much trouble to come back now and then to get recipes?"

"I'll do better than that, I'll give it to you!" he replied with a cheerful tone.

"Really?" Spike immediately shouted, accompanied at the same time with Twilight shouting, "What!?"

"Trail," Twilight began to say. "We couldn't accept something like this. I would much rather just stop by now and then to write things down, I wouldn't even dream of taking it to our place and somehow damaging it."

"Oh come now Twilight, think of it as a gift for everything you all have done for welcoming me here. And as payment for the book you gave me earlier."

"That's a lent copy. You borrowed from a library," Twilight said flatly, the look of her face not approving of where the conversation was going.

"Was it? Oh dear, then that serves a bit of a problem," Trail said, feigning distress. "You see I seem to have lost that book and will be unable to return it to the library. You better accept this as payment for it, an eye for an eye you know."

Spike didn't need to hear another word as he dashed forward and held the book tightly against his chest, thoughts of the delicious gems he would eat dancing in his head.

"Trail, I really don't think we could. That book is way too valuable historically. It belongs in a museum! Not a kitchen!" Twilight continued to argue.

"Twilight, I already gave it as a gift and payment for the loss book. And I accept no refunds on gifts or payments!" he stated simply. "Besides, you can't live your life on material possessions purely. Yes they are nice and it's fun to collect them as you can see from my home. But you can't fret on keeping them the way they are forever. _Few_ things last forever and it certainly isn't furniture, although they do a darn good job at trying. I would be a very petty pony if I couldn't part with a book in a show of friendship."

Twilight opened her mouth to protest further, but nothing came out. She was still not convinced it was the best idea and wanted to argue against it further. But looking at Spike and the grin he held on his face for having the book, her urge to preserve the it as best as possible faded away at the idea of his happiness. _I've never seen Spike hold onto a book so tightly before, I suppose if it makes him happy..._

"Fine, we accept your gift… and payment," Twilight admitted, not to happily. "But Spike, that book is only allowed in the kitchen when you are specifically preparing something from it. It needs to be safely far away from any ingredients and to be stored in my private shelf near my bed when not being used. It's the libraries now and it is going to be kept as preserved as possible."

"Anything you say!" Spike immediately replied, causing Twilight to wonder if he even fully heard her.

"Um, Twilight." Trail asked hesitantly, drawing her attention. "I also have a gift for you. Well to be honest, it's more like a free sample and advertising."

"What it is?" Twilight asked curiously.

"Well, I was hoping... if you would allow me to do a session with you."

"Excuse me?" Twilight said raising an eyebrow.

"Just a introductory one! I have to admit, I've been curious of what's been going on in your mind and have been dieing at a chance to evaluate you."

Twilight was silent for a few moments before giggling lightly. "Evaluate me? Oh come on Trail, you honestly expect _me_ , of all ponies, to have mental problems?"

"I would," Spike replied quickly.

Twilight shot him a glare for the second time that night as she responded, " _I do not_ , have problems."

"Remember that time you forgot to send Princess Celestia a letter?"

"Yes, but that was a one time thing. And she fixed that so—"

"Or that time you visited yourself from the future?" Spike interrupted.

"Well... I.. that one became resolved on its own."

"Or the time you obsessively followed Pinkie Pie around all day trying to prove her Pinkie Sense was wrong?"

"I got over that!"

"How about the time-"

"That's enough!" Twilight shouted.

An awkward silence filled in the room from Twilight's shout and the growing red on her face. It was some time before Trail coughed politely and said as reassuringly as he could, "Twilight, even the most stable of ponies can still have problems. It would actually be odd to not have problems. It's really nothing to worry or fret over."

"Worry is all she does," Spike said.

Twilight glared at both of them for a few seconds. When she saw they weren't going to budge she finally exhaled in defeat, "Fine, I'll do one session." Turning her head away she mumbled, "I guess a check up... wouldn't hurt..."

Trail's face lit up at her acceptance of his offer, "Great! I promise you won't regret it. Please, seat yourself comfortable on the chaise while I prepare for the hypnotherapy."

"Um," Twilight said before moving. "Does it have to be with hypnosis? I'd only read a little bit about it before but to be honest, I share Spike's opinion on it."

Trail's face took on a sour look as he replied, "Not you as well! Honestly, I expected a mare of your knowledge to see the truth between false information. Very well, I'll just have to explain it as I see it. If you would please have your seat, I'll explain how _real_ hypnosis works and why I use it."

Twilight held a skeptical and unenthusiastic attitude towards the whole thing, but reluctantly followed his directions and moved towards the chaise.

"Spike, I'm going to have to ask you to leave please," Trail requested.

"Aww, why do I have to go? I promise to be quiet!" he pleaded.

"Doesn't matter. All my sessions are one on one with customer to therapist confidentiality only. Everypony deserves their privacy, and they need to be by themselves to feel fully comfortable to truly become open."

"Fine," Spike groaned. As he began to walk out his attitude suddenly picked up. "I'll just... be downstairs reading." His excitement to read more about the future meals he was already planning showed easily as he hurried down the hall.

Chuckling at the dragons behavior, Trail moved towards the door and closed both of them, then came back and settled himself onto his chair behind Twilight.

"Now please, lay back comfortably while I explain. To begin, hypnosis is very real. But it does not work how some ponies think it does. There is no mind control and falling asleep. Instead, you are being put into a state of hyper focus. Think of it as being in a dark room with only a small flashlight, you are only able to be aware of exactly what it is revealing within a large room. That is effectively, what is happening in your brain when you are under in a trance like state."

"...Okay," Twilight said, paying full attention to the stallion behind her. "But why do I need to be put under for talking about... me?"

"I find that patients aren't very comfortable at opening up fully. Sometimes it can take multiple sessions just to get them to reveal a tiny detail that I could have addressed long ago. Hypnosis puts asides one's worries or embarrassment so I can more effectively deal with it during treatment. I assure you I can quite experienced in this."

Twilight's ears flicked in irritation but despite her reluctancy, she remained in the chair, and listened.

"Now just relax," Trail said. "There are multiple ways of going about an induction, and I feel two are the best options for you. One is the typical method of talking you into a focused state, while the other is a confusion induction which I think will be more successful for you."

"What's that?"

"It's an induction that is most effective against analytical minds that pick apart anything and everything it doesn't understand or agree with. Sound familiar?" Trail asked teasingly.

Twilight held some comfort that from his position he couldn't see the small blush that formed on her cheeks.

"But before I start, I have to ask one question. Hypnosis will not work unless the patient willingly accepts it. You have to trust me and let go, otherwise it will not work and I'll look foalish sitting here for however long it takes for me to realize it's not working for you. So I ask... do you _trust_ me... Twilight Sparkle?

Twilight was about to automatically answer yes, but paused as she really thought about it. _Do I really?_ she thought. She recalled everything she knew about him that she had learned over the last week. He was odd, eccentric, quick to become happy, and laughed at things only he found funny. But he had been nothing but kind since she's met him. To top it off, he was kind to all her friends as well. Not even counting the fact that his love for books might even match Twilight's, he willingly gave a potentially valuable book to Spike just to make him happy.

While there was the tiniest notion inside her that she shouldn't be completely opening up to him in such a vulnerable way, she dismissed it for paranoia of being introduced to something she never full heartedly believed to work. _He has been nothing but friendly and kind. I suppose I should return the favor and give him the benefit of a doubt._

With a deep breath she softly answered. "Yes, I do."

Trail's lips parted in the faintest of smiles," Good. Now, let us begin..."

* * *

Halfway through the induction, Trail noticed Twilight's breathing becoming more regular and even. Her body slowly becoming more relaxed and limp as he spoke to her, his voice having changed from his usual cheerful and eccentric demeanor, to a much more calming and soothing one. And though he wasn't able to see how her eyes glossed over and slowly closed themselves shut, he didn't need to. For as he continued to speak to her, his eyes that were once red, transitioned themselves into a soft glowing white light.

While before he was only able to see her hair and horn poking over the top of the chaise, and her hoof hanging limply over the edge, his magical vision revealed even more.

Through the chair, laid an orb that was both translucent and opaque. It was located exactly where Twilight's chest was, nestled within her core. The room around Trail began to fade away as his vision drew closer onto it, causing a distorting effect as if he was actually moving towards it. The longer he stared at it, the larger it appeared to him, almost as if was standing directly behind Twilight, close enough to feel her coat.

Then, the opaqueness gave away, and an impossibly multilayered structure could be seen within it. Strange shapes coalesced together into separate sections, each flickering in their own pace and color. Between those shapes, fiber like bridges connected them in an intricate framework. More numerous than a pile of christmas lights, yet more defined as if woven by a master weaver, they bridged the various sections in an eye dizzying display of connections.

Looking upon it further, recognition formed within his mind as he began to piece the function and purpose of each section, built from countless experiments and trials from similar attempts.

 _What makes the Night Walker so dangerous?_  
 _What makes his presence so stifling and tempting?_  
 _It is not the threatening fangs he bares,_  
 _Nor the offers you find hard resisting._

 _It is the gift, known to all of his kind,_  
 _And by the Shepherd known as Dead,_  
 _That unknown force mortal ponies know not,_  
 _That twisting and turning of the soul we dread._

 _Soul Sight, an unholy command,_  
 _Piercing deep within your being,_  
 _To feel his gaze is to know fear,_  
 _And to know secrets are fleeting._

 _He seeps into your thoughts,_  
 _Snatches your heart and mind,_  
 _Changing the very pony you are,_  
 _To suit whatever he designs._

 _Mad you could be,_  
 _Or calmer than the eye of a storm,_  
 _You could be set free,_  
 _Or bound more than any stone._

 _That is what makes the Night Walker so,_  
 _What makes him more fearsome and cunning,_  
 _Though others have wielded such power before,_  
 _None have mastered it as naturally as running._

 _Not even the Dead._

 _And how I've missed using it,_ Trail thought to himself smugly. To Trail, looking into Twilight's soul was being able to see nearly every aspect that made her Twilight Sparkle. Though it did not hold direct memories, it allowed him to see her emotional strengths and flaws, her morals and patterns. It was the ability to see how a pony had grown in their lives, whether they would be quick to anger or not, their consideration for others, the very traits that form their personalities and how they act. It was to him, like reading an open book titled 'Twilight Sparkle' that held more information than what could ever be conveyed in words.

Had she not been under hypnosis and falling deeper by the moment, he would have been able to watch in motion her soul flicker and fire flashes of lights on the various sections within her as she interacted with the world. Her apprehension growing as an unsightly stranger approached, the warmth and happiness that would spread at the sight of a friend, or the rare moment of watching fibers connect new sections together if she had gone through a life changing moment, permanently altering her view on the world.

But it was because she was under hypnosis that allowed him such easy access, and left her internal defenses unchecked. For when altered and manipulated, one can feel as if their very chest was being plucked apart from a variety of emotions spewing forth without reason or control.

And as her soul began to ease it's flickering, its colors slowing dulling due to inactivity, he knew the time to begin his work was quickly approaching.

 _It seems the confusion induction worked wonders. Her mind is more alert and analyzing than I thought, though a little bit of pushing the right spot never hurt to help sooth a timid soul._

Satisfied that she was deep enough, he began analyzing the routes he would need to modify or create. At this point, his words could go anywhere or change anything within her. _It will take a couple sessions to lay the foundation, but why don't we start with your problems._

"Now then," he said soothingly, his voice coaxing her attention obediently. "Lets add some more confidence to your ability to solve problems. You are a smart pony, capable of handling whatever life throws your way. Though you have always had friends to depend on, you were always able to make yourself push through. In fact, I believe I can see that you are already holding doubts about others opinions of you on whether or not you should be doing something on your own, that you should be who you are and figure things like like the capable pony you are."

"But if it wasn't for who you are, you would not have defeated the challenges that have presented themselves to you. You _aren_ a very capable pony, and you can do anything if you put your mind to it. All you need, is the information to work off of, and that unyielding determination you only let out onto your desire to read. Perhaps you should exercise your ability to solve things, try your hoof at more challenges. You wouldn't be here otherwise if you weren't able to. You _are_ a capable pony, aren't you?"

"...Yes..." Twilight whispered.

"Afterall, you are a princess. You are expected to handle more responsibility, and to do that, you need more experience."

As he whispered within her mind, he ever so delicately connected and disconnected certain fibers to the sections he coaxed brighter. More assertiveness and pride, and less humility and urge to seek help. As he did, he watched as her confidence began to establish itself further within her.

"Good, you should feel confident. Your smart, capable, and alert. There is nothing if you put your mind to it that you can't solve."

As Trail snipped a section, a sudden flare burned within Twilight, causing him to grimace. _She's more skilled than I assumed._

Twilight, once a unicorn that had wielded more magical ability than most could ever hope for, was used to dealing with a variety of sensations and complex multitasking. Summoning magic required a mind that could consciously and subconsciously deal with fluctuations or errors as quickly and skillfully as possible. And though her soul was not an area she had ever experienced first hoof, it was part of the source for her magical abilities, and not outside her field of attention.

 _A pity I never had to chance to work with alicorns before. If you were not so important, you would make a fine learning experience._

At this point, even the slightest error in the guiding process could potentially snap her out of the trance. Even while under, her subconscious continued to constantly scan and calculate, searching autonomously for anything wrong or out of place, a habit she had developed out of years of dealing with magical energy and her own paranoia. Trail needed to direct its attention to where he wanted it to go, and never realize that it was his voice that guided it. He needed to create the illusion that it was looking over exactly what it wanted to, without know it was being kept blind to where he worked on.

"It appears to me that you worry too much, it stops you from fully realizing all the variables in a situation. You must be calm and collective. I see you already built up some resistance to the stress of worry, from a close friend perhaps? A technique or gesture that will calm you down?"

"...Yes..."

"That's very good. Why don't we increase its effectiveness?"

His lips parted into a sly smile as he patiently worked through Twilight's mind, heart, and soul. There was much to do, and he little time for tonight. _But before I forget..._

Walking across the room, he quietly opened a wooden box on his chest, pulling out a empty vial with a cork on the top. "Why don't we drain out some of that worry? Just imagine it fading away and bringing your entire being into a more calm like state. Fading away from your hind hooves as it's drawn away from your body..."

In her trance like state, Twilight was unaware of the wisp of shadow that seeped from Trail's mouth and over her hind hooves, effectively dulling the senses to the area, or the tiny cut he created with a fang. Slowly, he coaxed the blood to pool out and into the vial, all while keeping Twilight's mind relaxed and wrapped in his words.

"You're beginning to feel more calm, more open. You enjoy feeling like this don't you? Not a care in the world as the worries flows out."

"...Yes..."

* * *

An hour later, Trail had laid the foundation and changes he was able to create during their time, and had a full vial of alicorn blood for later use. He had cleaned her wound expertly, and if she did manage to notice the small cut on her back legs, placed where ponies wouldn't question where a nick or two came from.

Having tucked the vial away, and seated comfortably on his chair once more, he began the final process before waking her up. "Now remember, these changes are there because you want them there. They will help you, but only if you act on them. Laying the foundation for something means nothing if they aren't used. The pathways _you_ have created tonight will fade away if you do not actively use them. Do you understand?"

"...Yes.."

"Good", Trail thought in satisfaction at his handiwork. _While she may be aware of the positive changes that she herself will be responsible for keeping up — if she truly desires them that is — the safety precautions I implanted will be rather more... difficult, to fade away._

"Now then, let's wake you up."


	5. Chapter 5

_Listen, listen!_  
 _I swear I'm not mad!_  
 _There's a monster in this town,_  
 _And your lives he will have!_

 _Why do you not listen?_  
 _Why do you not believe?_  
 _Has he turned you all against me?_  
 _Has he all of you deceived?_

"Ah'm heading out now," Applejack announced as she trotted of the porch.

Granny Smith nodded in response and looked to her warmly from her rocking chair. "Alright dearie. Ah'll save some pie fer you tonight incase you're still hungry after Fluttershy's."

"Thanks Granny," Applejack replied with a wave, then proceeded down the path. _Celestia knows ah'll need it. It's no wonder how Fluttershy always looked so dainty giving what she considers dinner._

But despite the stomach grumbles Applejack knew would come even after finishing their meal, she looked forward to having dinner at Fluttershy's house. It wasn't something that they had done regularly; just a nice change of routine now and then that allowed them to spend time with each other.

While Applejack wasn't as passionate about animals as much as Fluttershy was, her daily contact with them gave her some expertise, and she found it to be one of the few topics of conversation that was easy to hit-off with Fluttershy before branching out into other things; a pregamer as Rainbow Dash once commented.

 _Speaking of, ah better stop by Floral's for some of the flowers Rainbow Dash said Fluttershy really enjoys as a topping. Ah can't let the poor girl pay for all the food each time._

* * *

"Oh! Hello there, Applejack."

"Howdy, Daisy," Applejack greeted as she entered the small store. "How have you been doing?"

"Really good actually," the pink earth pony replied with a smile. "Can I help you look for anything?"

"Nah, ah got it."

"Alright, just let me know if you do," Daisy nearly sang before returning her to work on a bouquet she was creating.

Applejack gave a small smirk at Daisy's good mood, then turned around and began walking slowly down the shelves of flowers. From seeds to full grown flowers, the shop had it all. Normally she was always near the seed section, keeping an eye on any plants that Granny Smith might like around the farm. But today was for food, and she swung herself to the isles of flowers displayed in various vases.

She was tempted to buy some of the one she had passed initially due to how pleasant they smelled, feeling her stomach already beginning to protest for something to eat, but remained diligent and searched for the flower Rainbow Dash had said would be easy enough to find.

And true enough, It only took a minute of searching the spot the orange rose with blue tints that Rainbow Dash had described to her. "Night's Sun huh?" Applejack said as she read off the name. "Hope it's as tasty as it looks." Applejack began to fish out a couple of the roses, when her ears pricked at the sound of humming coming from Daisy.

It was a sweet melody, and it made Applejack try to suppress a smirk that threatened to overtake her. _Ah see. Surprised I didn't notice right away._

Applejack grabbed the flowers, and proceeded back up to the counter, watching Daisy closely with a knowing smile.

"Will that be everything, Applejack?" Daisy asked as she noticed Applejack approaching.

"Yeah, this will be all fer now," Applejack said while setting the flowers on the counter, her eyes not having left Daisy for a moment.

"Let me just ring you up…"

Daisy began the checkout, all while humming her melody throughout her actions. If anything, it only made Applejack smile more smugly.

"So, Daisy…"

"Hm-hmm."

"When did ya ask him?"

The humming stopped at once, and the bag Daisy had been unfolding nearly slipped out of her hooves. As her cheeks began to turn a darker shade of pink, she ran a hoof behind her green mane while failing to hide her cheerfulness. "W-what do you mean?"

"I'm asking when did ya asked Meadow Song on a date."

Daisy eyes flitted left and right, before she tucked her chin and looked up with Applejack sheepishly, a full grin plastered beneath her dark cheeks. "...Last night."

"Good fer you!" Applejack said while gently thumping Daisy's shoulder over the counter. "Ah knew you had it in ya."

"Y-yeah, I finally managed to work up the courage to ask him."

"About time too. Ah was wondering if you would ever get your nerve."

"Well, it's thanks to you and your constant encouragement," Daisy said, the red from her cheeks beginning to vanish as she began checking out the flowers again. "Honestly, if it wasn't for you telling me to go after him, I never would have tried asking him."

"Ah'm just glad it worked out," Applejack said, a small blush forming on her cheeks as well.

"No really, I do want to thank you." Daisy reached over the counter and grasped Applejacks front hooves. "You've always been supportive Applejack, and I just want to thank you for listening to my small problems. In fact, I would give you these flowers for free, or even a discount, if I knew you would take it."

"Shucks, ya don't have to thank me that much," Applejack said while turning away.

"But its only thanks to you that I realized my own problems of being so terribly shy with him, and finally realizing I need help, like from Midnight Trail."

"Well, ah… pardon?"

"Trail," Daisy said cheerfully. "The new therapist in town? I thought you had already met him at Pinkie Pie's party two weeks ago?"

"Ah did," Applejack said while pulling her hooves away. "But what does he got to do with you and Meadow Song?" she asked skeptically.

"Well, I do have issues around stallions and he _is_ a therapist," Daisy said with an eye roll, thinking Applejack was having fun with her.

"Ah suppose so…" Applejack said slowly.

"Really though," Daisy said as she finished bagging up the flowers, "he is such a nice stallion. And skilled too! Did you know he cured Lily's fear of bunnies?"

"Were not talking about the same Lily that fainted from the stampeding bunnies way back?"

"Yup! She's trauma free and everything now! I heard she even went over to Fluttershy's the other day to ask about buying a pet bunny."

"That's… great…"

"Isn't it?" Daisy replied, unaware that Applejack had stopped smiling along with her sometime ago. "That'll be five bits please."

* * *

Applejack's eyes were focused on the ground ahead of her, deep in thought as she weaved her way through the streets of Ponyville. She was replaying the conversation she had with Daisy over and over in her mind.

 _Trail..._

Just thinking his name caused her to scowl. _Gosh darn it, what is it about him that sets me off? He was polite and nice enough at his welcoming party._

Even recalling the first moment she met him caused her leg muscles to tense up. There was just something about him, some unknown sense of warning that fired off Applejack's internal alarms. It had been when she looked him in the eye and shook his hoof. At that moment she knew she something was off, and it had been the root of her worries ever since then.

 _But he seems like a good pony,_ she reasoned. _He's a therapist, something ah still think is phooey in needin, but it looks like he has been helping other ponies._

As if to confirm the fact, Applejack looked about her and at the other ponies in Ponyville. The mood was pleasant and relaxed, like any normal day for it. But she wasn't sure it was her imagination, or if it was indeed thanks to Trail, that ponies seemed just a little extra chirpier. An extra smile, a relaxing breath, or a content sigh, all of it seemed possibly a little more than usual.

She didn't know how many customers he had taken since his arrival, and knew it was foalish of her to think everypony had visited him. But she couldn't stop her mind from jumping from one conclusion to another, looking for anything, something, to justify her feelings towards him.

As if fate gave her an opportunity to search for a reason, she stopped dead in her tracks at the realization she was currently standing at the edge of Trail's property.

 _Shoot, ah forgot ah have to pass this place to get to Fluttershy's._

Applejack looked onto the expansive house with an uneasy feeling in her gut that was only worsened by her growing hunger. The place was charming enough even if it was a little 'fancy' as she would describe, and she had often wondered when a pony would move into it whenever she passed. Twilight Sparkle was the last pony to move to Ponyville, and it seemed odd to Applejack that nopony else had moved in since.

Applejack had intended on the next resident that moved in, she would be as neighborly as possible. Which was why she was so frustrated with herself for feeling the way she did towards Trail without any seemingly good reason that came to mind.

Applejack stood near the edge of the property for some minutes reflecting on everything, when the door to his house suddenly opened. Fearing that she had been seen just standing near his house, she began to walk at a brisk pace down the fence and to the other end. Her fears however, were quelled when she saw a different stallion exit the house with Trail behind and standing in the doorway.

Slowing down just a tad, she peered out of the corners of her eyes as the Trail and what she assumed was one of his clients shook hooves, the stallion wearing a bright smiling and looking to be thanking gratefully.

 _Why does it bother me so much that ev'ry pony likes him? It's not that ah'm jealous is it? I've never been a green apple of envy before._

As the stallion turned and made for the walk up the lawn, Trail's eyes drifted over Applejack who had been in the moment of passing his front gate, and gave her a smile and a wave.

Applejack gave a nervous laugh that she hoped he could not hear, and waved in return with the best smile she could muster. _Only a few feet left. Just keep smiling. Almost there..._

As soon as she cleared the fence line and was already disappearing into the last few houses before the woodland trail to Fluttershy's, Applejack let out a large sigh of relieve.

"Celestia's sake, ah'm more bothered than beehive facing a bear." She slowed her pace and continued onwards to the cottage, her eyes back to focusing on the path ahead intently. _This is driving me up a wall, just why does he bother me so much?_

Searching inwards until the soft sound of the stream that ran past the cottage grabbed her attention, she looked up and found herself having already arrived.

"Maybe Fluttershy has some advice on this…"

* * *

"Midnight Trail?"

"Yeah, what are your thoughts about him?"

Fluttershy thought for a moment as she poured herself a cup of tea. "Well, he seems like a nice pony. A little strange at times, but nice enough."

"That's what I keep telling myself," Applejack said as she looked into her cup. With a heavy sigh, she looked back to Fluttershy. "Look, ah suppose ah should just get to the point of bringing this up. As nice as a pony Trail is, for some reason ah can't shake this… _feeling_ I have of him. And it ain't a good one. So ah was wondering how you felt about him, see if ah can figure out myself from hearing your thoughts."

"Oh, um… okay," Fluttershy said. "Uh… he's… nice?"

Applejack gave a deadpan looked to Fluttershy who began to fumble with her hooves.

"I'm sorry, Applejack, but I don't know if I can help you with. He's-"

"Please don't say nice again."

"Um… he's… _interesting_ , to say the least. He's unusual in some ways, but he always seems to mean well and… I'm sorry, I just can't talk bad about a pony behind there back."

"Ah'm not asking ya to talk bad about him sugercube," Applejack said while setting down her cup. "Ah'm just trying to see what you honestly think of him. If ah am the only pony who feels like there's something wrong with him, then ah'll just have to chalk it up to it being something wrong with _me_."

"I understand, it's just… well, I really do think he's nice." Fluttershy ignored the looked Applejack gave her and continued on. "He's considerate, his job is about helping other ponies. In fact, he even offered to give me a free session."

"Yer not thinking of doing it are you?" Applejack said, not concealing her scowl in the slightest.

"Oh no, I don't think I could." Fluttershy meekly smiled. "I know I have some issues, but I don't really feel comfortable seeing a therapist about it. At least, not yet."

"At least we share the same opinion about his line of work," Applejack said with a sigh as she leaned back against her chair. "So maybe it is just me then…"

Fluttershy stared into her cup for a few moments, searching her memory for anything that might help. "Um… I don't know if it counts… but, he has turned down my offer for him to have tea at my house a couple times."

Applejack looked at her in surprise. " _You_ invited him for tea? All on your own?"

"I'm trying to get better about being more open with other ponies. And I thought if he saw me offering to spend time with him, that he wouldn't know I was so shy."

"...Yeah, don't think he would have picked that up otherwise."

"But," Fluttershy continued, "he has turned it down each time."

"So?"

"Well… it's just… he's been to Twilight's, Rarity's, and Pinkies house a few times. I thought, maybe he would like to see mine. But he keeps saying no, but politely of course. It's starting to make me think theres something wrong with me..."

"That's mighty odd and impolite if ah do say so," Applejack said. "You have any idea why?"

"I'm not sure… Has he been to your hou-"

"Heck no."

"Oh… sorry…"

As Fluttershy was thinking of something else to add, Angel appeared from nowhere, hopping up into her lap and immediately began to take bits out of her sandwich. Fluttershy gave him a soft look and patted his head, while Applejack gave a glare at Angel. _Sometimes ah wonder if Fluttershy would even be able to spot rude if it came and bit her on the behind._

"Oh, thats right," Fluttershy spoke.

"Hmm?"

"The other day when we met up for our weekly pet play date, Pinkie and I had stopped at his house."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Oh, sorry… was I supposed to?"

"No, I suppose not," Applejack sighed. "What happened?"

"Well, Pinkie knocked on the door and asked if he wanted to come play with our pets. Trail cracked the door open only a little and politely said no. When Pinkie pressed on it, he said something about being allergic to alligators."

"Alligators?"

"I know, odd isn't it? And even more strange was that Angel was holding onto me as tight as he could while we were talking to him. He doesn't normally act like that except when Discord is around."

"Speaking of, where is he?"

"Last I heard was that he was on some errands for the princesses."

 _Ain't that always the excuse for why he's never around when he could actually be useful for a change._ Applejack quickly pulled back the small sandwich on her plate when Angel made a move for it, giving him a scowl before propping herself back into her chair while holding the plate.

"Okay, so he _may_ a weird thing with animals. Anything else?"

"No, not that I know of. I'm sorry I can't help anymore."

"It's alright," Applejack sighed. "Maybe ah am just chasing my own tail on this…"

"Have any of the other girls said anything that was helpful?"

"No, not really. Ah asked Twalight but you would think that she believes Trail is the next best thing besides apple barrels. Ah asked her once about how odd of a stallion he was with his name and coat color, and she locks me down in a two hour study lecture about how his name is apparently old as dirt and common back in tha day. And how about something about coat colors would skip generations and pop back up. Did you know apparently ponies weren't as colorful as they are today?"

"That is strange, I guess."

"Ah can't even spend time with Twalight without _him_ being brought up in one way or another. And to be honest, as annoying as it is hearing how everypony else likes him, I'm starting to feel bad that ah'm the only one who doesn't like Trail."

"Have you spent time with him with just the two of you?"

"...No…"

"Maybe you should start there then, and see where it goes." Fluttershy offered her most supportive smile, and held it until Applejack gave a small smirk.

"Yeah, maybe you're right." Applejack stared thoughtfully into her cup for sometime, until she exhaled heavily. "Tell you what, ah'll invite him to my house later this week. Spend some time with him and properly introduce him to mah family. And, ah'll figure out why he hasn't come to your place," she finished with a soft smile.

"Oh, you don't have too. I just want it to go well for you."

"You know you are one of the sweetest ponies around?

"I just like helping other ponies," Fluttershy said with a smile. "Like Trail," she added with a wink.

Applejack did not know which one to be more taken aback from. The fact that even Fluttershy was squeezing him name into conversations as well, or the fact that she tried to make a joke.

* * *

A few hours later and the sun almost below the horizon, Applejack was waving goodbye to Fluttershy and crossing the stream. "We'll have to do this again sometime," Fluttershy called out to her. "It was such a lovely time."

"Sure thing, Just let me know the next time you're planning on it!" Applejack replied back.

Glad to have made some progress on her dilemma, she headed back to the farm with silent appreciation of the coming night. The edge of the sky held a soft red hue as the stars slowly made their way out above. Luna's moon had yet to rise, waiting respectfully at the edge of the sky for Celestia's sun to fully disappear from the horizon.

Applejack took in a deep breath of the night air and let it out in a happy smile. The air had a crisp sensation to it that almost made it magical. Nights like these, she would just want to spend on a hill on the farm, listening to the crickets play in the tall grass while she stargazed into the night sky. She really hasn't had the chance to enjoy a night like this in a while. She was always caught up in getting enough sleep to work the next day or to recover from whatever adventure she and her friends wound up on.

Applejack briefly reflected that tonight might be a good night to star watch with Apple Bloom if she wasn't asleep yet. It was something Applejack grew up on with her father, him keeping her up past her bedtime to sneak outside into the night much to mothers distaste. Together they would find a nice patch on a hill to lie down on and just stare into the endless array of stars above them. He would teach Applejack some of the constellations he had known about.

Of course she knew most of them now, a perk to being a friend to Twilight Sparkle. But the time she spent with her father just staring into the sky was one of her favorite memories. However Apple Bloom never had gotten the chance to spend time like that with them; she was too young when they had passed away to remember much. Something that tore into Applejack's chest time to time whenever she thought about it.

But a night like this shouldn't be wasted, and even if her parents were gone, she could at least be there for Apple Bloom and do what her father did for her. Applejack smiled at the thought of getting Apple Bloom out of bed if she was asleep already and walk out into the orchard to find the perfect star watching spot. She may not be a replaced for her father, but she could be the best big sister should could. She could be there for her and be her star watching partner. Applejack gave a small chuckle at the idea and decided she would drag Apple Bloom out with her, maybe even Big Mac too.

Her peaceful mood however was broken at once again seeing the sight of a particular house coming up. Even at night when Trail would probably be getting ready for bed if not already being asleep, just passing the place alone caused Applejack to give it a scowl of uncertainty and suspicion, despite the good will she had spoken at Fluttershy's cottage. She still could not place a hoof on why she felt this way, but it seemed to become clearer with each day that it was not going to go away; no matter how much she convinced herself otherwise.

Before she could mull further on the matter, the sound of a door closing brought her out of thought. Squinting into the darkness, she could make out movement behind Trail's house. From where she was on the road, she had yet to walk by the house and had a full side view of its front and back garden. She was only able to make out the shape of a pony leaving the house and heading towards the woods some distance behind it.

Ears twitching, she detected the faint noise of a voice, but she was unable to make out anything it had said or if she had just imagined it. Paying closer attention, she stared hard into the growing darkness as the figure moved closer to the woods. Her eyes widened in surprise as she made out a shadow within the trees stir and move out to meet the form. It looked to be another pony from what she could see, but she was unable to make out any details other than that there were two of them now heading towards each other.

The two finally closed in on one another, and after a short moment, both began to head back into the woods. _Now what in tarnation is he doing this late at night?_ Applejack thought to herself. The whole thing seemed shady with her already preconceived notions on the pony. Meeting mysterious ponies at night and moving into the dark woods certainly did not help paint a good picture of somepony either she reasoned.

 _Ah wonder what he's up to? Maybe if I stay quiet and follow close I can find-_ Applejack stopped herself as she had lifted up a hoof to begin pursuit. "Steady girl, you're just being paranoid on tha whole thing. Don't need to be acting like Twalight." She took in a deep breath and exhaled. "There's no reason 'ta follow him into the woods. Whatever he does is his business, not yours. Just… be a good pony, and head on back home."

Shaking off the moment, she stepped forward again on the road and began to walk past Trail's house. She was determined to keep her focus on moving on, but could not help but let her eyes drift over the house as she passed by. To her, it was such a shame that such a charming house, even it was a little large, suddenly seemed so unwelcoming to her since Trail moved in.

But as to not dwell on the matter further, she huffed and whipped her head forward and resolutely continued to walk by it. She had made past the house and was well towards the end of the street before she would have to turn into town to get to the road that led home. However, she halted before making the turn, her eyes still locked ahead of her. As much as she kept telling herself to just leave it alone and head on home, to get Apple Bloom and spend some time with her, a nagging feeling pulled at her chest that said otherwise. She never had any leads as to what may explain her feelings for the eccentric pony; but that this might be the only chance she could get to find out why she did.

Slowly turning her head around, she stared hard at the spot she had seen on who she assumed was Trail and the mystery pony had entered the woods at. Her teeth began to grind together as her muscles twitched with anticipation for a chase, and it was taking all her strength to not follow her instinct.

After a minute of silent frustration, she whipped her head forward again, and continued around the corner. "Ah am not going to act like a foalish filly and chase a stranger into the woods at night." With that she pressed on and the sounds of her hoof steps steadily faded into the distance as she moved away.

The street grew silent as all sounds of life drifted away. A lone cat crawled out from under a fence hole and sat in the middle of the street to give itself a bath, satisfied that it was alone now. However, it wasn't until some minutes later before its ears pricked up in alarm at the sound of a commotion coming towards it. The noise of the pitter patter of hooves started soft and distant, and grew resoundingly loud as they closed in. The cat twitched its tail in agitation and dove back under the fence to flee the oncoming noise.

Shortly after, Applejack burst from around the corner and barreled towards Trail's house. Leaping clear over the front yard fence, and without pause, dashed towards the rear of the house. Skirting the edges of the house she reached the back yard, and continued forward, charging headlong into the dark woods just some distance across a field; an orange streak before she became engulfed in the shadows the trees.

 _Buck it. Ah'm getting to the bottom of this tonight!_


	6. Chapter 6

_He approached me one night,_  
 _Within the cobble streets of our town,_  
 _I thought him a lost stranger,_  
 _But he was more I soon found._

 _History and secrets he spoke of,_  
 _Things that I had not known,_  
 _He promised me salvation and power,_  
 _For in each of us, his blood was sewn._

 _What lies did the Princesses tell us?_

"This is really becoming too easy," Trail spoke aloud. He sat back against his cushioned work chair, idly whisking about a red liquid within his wine glass. He held it at a hoofs distance in front of him, directly in the path of the dimming sunlight that shone through the large office window. With him in the shadows, and the glass held out in the light, he pondered over the way the light shined on its glossy surface as it was sloshed about the glass, casting shimmers like of a body of water.

"How good it is to enjoy moments like these. It's a pity I didn't appreciate the simple things such as this. Or the moon crossing a barren tundra, a feather of a bird suddenly appearing, or the sight of a lone balloon making its way up into the never ending sky. Truly, life is full of wonderful little moments, and only the wise are aware of it."

Trail brought the glass to his lips, and sipped it's contents, enjoying each drops flavor as it slide down his throat. With a satisfied hum, he returned the observing the glass in the fading sunlight. "Or maybe one just needs to be locked in a box for a thousand years."

He chuckled at the memory of his imprisonment. "Even that seems like a distant memory now..."

The sun's color was beginning to bring a fiery red to the room, casting a dull glow onto the carpets and wooden floor. The light's beams were fully visible as they cut across the air, showing the stark difference of what the light touched, and what remained in the darkening shadows. It reminded him of a scene he had once seen during a sunset in a forgotten monastery so long ago. The imposing and awe inspiring sight of monolithic columns that looked to reach to the clouds themselves in height, shouldering a wide expanse of roof and ceiling decorated in the finest details. A scene that could not be fully expressed in mere words on how it would capture the eyes and soul of a viewer, lost in awe of such a grandiose and beautiful sight. Something that could only be understood when witnessed.

"But such sights do not exist now," he said with a grimace. The thought of the things that were now lost in history forever, fated to be buried within the sands of time, bothered him greatly. Now the only thing that was left, were simple things like a red glass sparkling in a setting sun. Though lacking in palatial and moving form, it was still something beautiful to consider.

He briefly pondered the deeper meanings of the scene. The red glass lit up by the sunlight, representing todays age that was full of life and light. Under Celestia's rule, the ponies of Equestria truly had shifted to a time of relative peace and splendor. There were no famines, no wars, no monstrous acts of cruel ponies. There was only simple pleasure, sunlight, and life.

While in turn, Trail sat in the shadows of the room, inches away from the beams. He was from a time before such happiness was prevalent. And he remained in it, destined to be swept away with the rising sun and tossed aside like a bad dream. He knew very well that he did not belong in this new world, and was constantly reminded of it each and everyday. From how the ponies acted, down to the very furniture he owned. Everything reminded him that he was a part of history and separate. A creature that was willed by powers that overcame him to never exist or be repeated again.

B _ut I will not be forgotten…_

Trail narrowed his eyes as the last rays of sunlight began to dim further, the sun approaching its final descent.

 _I will not fade away into history like an old mare's tale, I will not yield to such demands,_ he thought darkly. _I will not be swept away by this world, nor will I squeeze into its fabric and design. I, one of the Four Shepard's of Darkness, The Night Walker, Soul Poisoner, will stand and make my mark in this age._

Trail's face turned to a scowl after his vow, fully determined to reach whatever means necessary to carry it out. But after a moment of quiet anger and focus, he let go of the feelings and relaxed back into the chair. The brief respite of internally fighting the world brought forth the memory of one of the poems that had been sung during his time. Lifting his head, he stared out through the window.

 _"Day Light, Moonlight,_  
 _Turn to shadows sight,_  
 _Pass on in silent grievings,_  
 _Fade fast to the walkers might._

 _Traveling by wood,_  
 _By mountain and snow,_  
 _Fear his reaching grasp,_  
 _For his domain he has sowed._

 _Fear the Beast, his rage mighty,_  
 _Fear the King, his magic corrupting,_  
 _Fear the Dead, her touch chilling,_  
 _But least not forget, the Shadow alluring._

 _Do not tempt The Night Walker so,_  
 _Least you feel his fangs beckon,_  
 _With your life, blood will flow,_  
 _And sate the soul you so foolishly reckoned."_

Swirling the glass again, he chuckled. "Not the most eloquent pieces written in homage, but always a favorite while enjoying a drink."

The last rays of sunlight were vanishing slowly beyond the horizon, masking the room in growing shadows as that chased the remaining slivers of light. Trail lifted the glass into the last beam, watching as the golden glows of light fade, turning the reflective liquid surface into a dark color.

"May this world see its last sun, and be brought back into the shadows of truth and reality, as cold and hard as they might be. Or let the shadow forever leave his mark, never to be forgotten..."

With said prayer, Trail brought the glass towards his mouth. Tipping his head back, he drank the red liquid with a single gulp, and happily sighed as his tongue licked the edges of his mouth, savoring the few remnants of the taste. Inside, he felt the internal pulls and yanks of fabricated forces settle down, and yield back into submission once again. A wide grin spread across his face as he set the glass back down onto the table, simultaneously with the last of the sunlight fading completely into the night.

"But still…" Trail repeated after a moment. "This is really all too easy." He leaned forward and brought both his hoofs under his chin as his mind worked over the progress he had made during his time in Ponyville. He had built a decent client pool amongst the town's residents, making him more familiar and earning the trust of practically every pony. He had access to as much blood as he needed, easily obtained by the multitude of post hypnotic suggestions augmented by his magic. It would be easy to summon anypony for a quick drink if he so desired.

In addition, he had already befriended Twilight Sparkle, Alicorn Princess and Element of Magic within the first week of his arrival. Since then, he had spent almost every other day with her either talking about some item of his, or in discussion of today's theories on magic. He had to study quite a bit to become knowledgeable enough to remain somewhat even hoofed with the mare given how much things had changed over a thousand years, but anything was worth the effort for the rewards that would come. It was even worth the trouble of spending time out in the sunlight to keep up appearances, but only after a quick sip of the alicorn's or others blood to fuel the spell.

Thankfully she didn't give a second thought as to why Trail requested to meet with her primarily in the evening and inside most of the time. A simple explanation of him being busy during the day with clients was enough to cease any suspicions that she might have formed. Even her friends had been graciously accepting of him and showed no ill will, save one.

Trail recalled the moment he had shared with Applejack only a few hours prior. He had just finished a session with a client, a stallion with a B+ blood type with self-esteem issues. Trail was making great progress in fixing him, and was seeing him out the door. It was then that he caught sight of her. He, of course, was friendly and waved in hello towards her, to which she naturally returned. But the way she quickly left and the cheapness of the smile she gave hinted to him that she did not feel as her actions implied.

He was very well aware of the many other times she was simply standoffish towards him. Anytime he would attempt to converse with her, or even the rarer times he had met her outside, she was always quick to end the conversation and be on her way. When he was able to, Trail risked a moment of soul sighting her as she departed. After a few successful attempts, he was able to confirm her feelings towards him as they flared brightly from her interaction with him, and none of them showed anything positive.

"I suppose she might be the trouble I've been expecting to happen at one point or another," he mused out loud. "But even then it's not much to deal with." His mind spun over possibilities of how to handle the situation. From various ideas of befriending her, to wondering if it was possible to force her to comply with magic. After contemplating for sometime however, he sighed and pulled himself out of his thoughts. "I can't become too wrapped up on this, creating further trouble where there might be none. This world is just too lax for my taste it seems. It lacks any of the dangers I would normally have to prepare for."

Trail sat in his chair for a few minutes before suddenly turning his head back towards the window. "Probably about time now."

Getting up from his chair, he made his way to one of the desks within the room. Upon reaching it, he whispered beneath his breath words that were bound to a spell, causing the desk to flare once with a red light. Reaching down, he pulled open one of its drawers. Inside was a simple wooden hinged box. With a small flip of the lid, he verified all its contents were in order. _Soon, this blood will be the key to our salvation._

Closing the lid, he extended his hoof out before him, then whispered words beneath his breath. Immediately afterward swirling shadows began to wrap around the box's wooden frame, engulfing it until even his entire hoof was lost within its darkness. A moment later, he raised his hoof from the shadows, revealing nothing but open air as the wooden box no longer sat upon it. The shadows faded away as they trailed after his hoof, closing the still open chest drawer. Assured the spell had safely stored the box, he proceeded out of the room and the house.

Opening the back door, he walked out into the cool night air, his hoof steps swishing the grass of the back garden. He briefly glanced over the carefully tended flowers and bushes, maintained by the gardener filled with great pride at keeping the grounds at their best. Trail often gave an extra tip to the older pony for thanks of his hard work, a few bits more than the agreed price. The gardener graciously took the extra payment when given, but never once declined towards the offer. Lately he even had begun to hang around longer than need be in expectation of a tip. _Modesty would be becoming of him_.

Walking past the tended plant life, Trail continued towards the expanse of woods only a short distance from his home. As he approached, the figure of a pony melted out from the shadows of the woods, and met him the rest of the distance.

"Good evening, Shade Flare," Trail greeted, a smile spreading across his lips as he made out the full form of the pony. The stallion's coat was a smokey grey color, perfect for blending into the night. Even spotting the pony within the trees would have been impossible for most, but even without the enhanced vision Trail possessed, nopony could mistake the other features of the stallion once they were close enough to see him.

His eyes were amber in color, and instead of a round pupil, a slit was in its place instead. Small tufts could be seen on the top of his ears, making them appear slightly longer and more angled. But most striking of all, was instead of feathers on his wings tucked to his side, they were more resembling of a bat, leathery and loose. The pony that stood before Trail was none other than a batpony, and also, a member of Princess Luna's Lunar Guard.

"Good evening, my lord, how does thy fair tonight?" Shade Flare responded, bowing in respect.

"Please dispense with the formalities, if there is one thing I like about this age, is that they are trivial and unneeded. And I've already told you before, you try too hard on old talk."

"I… apologize. What would you ask of- I mean… what would you prefer to be called?"

"For now, Trail will do. Best to stay in character as much as possible."

"As you wish," Shade Flare replied.

"Are the others gathered?"

"Yes, they are awaiting your arrival within the woods."

"Good, let's not keep them waiting."

Trail and Shade Flare moved towards the treeline and were soon engulfed by its foliage and shadows. They quietly crossed across the dirt ground and underbrush, neither of them making noticeable sound as they passed through the woods.

"Midnight Trail," Shade Flare began..

"Just Trail will suffice."

"…Trail, may I ask how goes your progress in Ponyville?"

"Disturbingly easy. I have not encountered any setbacks or troubles as of yet. So far all the ponies accept me and I seem to be earning their trust rather quickly. Fortunately Princess Twilight has had little contact with the Royal Sisters of late. You have positioned members to inform me should they hear word of either of them coming to visit Ponyville correct?"

"Yes, we have connections in place to catch any official word of travel. I of course, would know of anything concerning Princess Luna, but we also are in works with members of Princess Celestia's guard, claiming it to be a security measure for both parties to know the locations of both Princesses at all times."

Trail gave a small grunt. "They didn't have that before? My goodness have things changed. I suppose that's the best that can be done for now, but given how _un-official_ the Princesses act these days, I would be lucky to hear anything at all should they choose to visit."

"Would they really recognize you on sight?"

"Without a doubt," Trail replied. "I can do many things, but masking a cutie mark is not one of them. There are some parts of the soul even I cannot modify. Princess Celestia and Luna would know me the moment they laid their eyes upon me, something I wish to avoid as long as possible."

"And are you still sure Princess Twilight is the best course of action? Would it not be simpler to build your forces far away from the Royal Sisters and Elements of Harmony?"

"It would," Trail said nonchalantly. "But it would lead to my inevitable downfall."

"Sir?"

"I cannot face the Elements of Harmony. From what I've gathered, they are beyond my strength to deal with. Eventually my presence would be revealed, the element bearers gathered, and their power used against me. My return may as well be as short as Sombra's was; a fate that I would do best to prevent."

"Which is why I am choosing this course," Trail continued. "To deal with the issue head on before it may become a larger problem, as well as solve our current dilemma."

"And you still plan to turn her?" Shade Flare asked.

"Yes."

Shade Flare opened his mouth to ask another question, but decided to keep it closed and return his attention back on walking.

Trail however had not missed the behavior, and spoke after a few moments. "What do you want to ask?"

"It is not my place to question your plans."

"Honestly, does the little knowledge of me that survives paint that bad of a picture? I will not deal punishment out to my subordinates that question for good reason. If I do not want you to know the details, I will make it clearly known."

"Y-yes sir," Shade Flare hesitantly replied, nodding in understanding.

"Please, ask away."

Shade Flare remained silent as they trekked deeper into the forest before he finally coughed and voiced his concern. "Trail… is it really wise to turn Princess Twilight into a full vampony?"

"Your worries are?"

"She is already an alicorn, why in Equestria would you want to give her your gift? Believe me, I am forever thankful for what you are trying to do, but wouldn't it be easier to avoid reversing our fate and beginning with normal ponies?"

"I will not abandon you," Trail said firmly.

"But would Twilight not become even more powerful and present an even greater threat?"

"Yes, she most likely would become even more dangerous."

"Then why?"

"The full answer… I cannot delve into for now. You must trust me on this, and know that even augmented with the power in our blood, I will still pose a threat to her in turn. And I will see to her downfall personally should she ever become a true threat."

Shade Flare regarded him, still worried of the reasons behind his plan to continue with the princess, but he stopped himself from pressing the matter further. _It is as he said, he will reveal to me when he desires. I must simply trust him for now_. Glancing at Trail briefly, Shade Flare regarded him fully as he had done so many times; something that he had yet to tire of. _For the sake of our kind, I have to trust him._

They continued the remainder of the walk without speaking, passing through small glens and overgrown ferns like sifting , a break in the trees could be seen ahead, revealed a small clearing that was larger than any that had come across yet. Halting on sight of it, Trail's eyes briefly scanned the opening in the forest and the trees on the edges.

 _Twenty-three. Small, but a good start,_ Trail thought. It had been easy for him to spot the various ponies standing about in and around the clearing. Some of them were directly in the middle of the small field, deep in personal conversations, while others preferred to be away on their own near or in the trees, watching from the shadows or high vantage points. While the most of their coloring were various shades of greys, browns, dark greens and blues, there were a few brightly colored ones such as yellow and red.

While some ponies may find it odd that a darker palette of coat color was the majority of the group, the fact that each and every one of there was a batpony like Shade Flare would send the strangeness home.

"We have twenty-four, sir, all trustworthy and willing," Shade Flare stated.

"Twenty-four?"

"Yes, sir."

"Where is the last one?" he asked, his head on a swivel to pick out the remaining pony. He wondered if Shade Flare had miscounted, for a pony that was able to remain undetected by the Night Walker would be certainly most talented.

"I… do not know, sir," Shade Flare replied, taken aback at the assumed knowledge Trail was somehow able to see each of them so easily. _Not even we bat ponies have that good of sight,_ he thought. Clearing his throat, Shade Flare continued. "I'm assuming it must be Ebon Wing, he has an odd affinity with the shadows. At times, even a full guard is unable to find him if he so desires."

 _So_ , Trail thought. _It seems that some traits managed to survive the test of time. How fortunate some thing's were able to be passed down._ Still looking for the final pony, Trail asked, "Is it common for one of your own to have such a gift?"

"No, sir, abilities like Ebon Wing possesses appear randomly every few generations. However we have been lucky that these last few years. There have been a large influx of ponies possessing rare traits."

Trailed smiled. _Fate, you beautiful thing._

"Would you happen to have something to do with it, sir? Given your recent release."

"It's possible, but it is something to be looked at another time. First, let us locate our hidden friend."

Trail closed his eyes and focused his attention inward, Shade Flare looking at him in a questioning manner. When he opened them again, his eyes were pure white in color and held a soft glow to them. Shade Flare stifled a small gasp upon seeing them, unsure of what exactly he was intending to do.

Ignoring Shade Flare's fascination, Trail squinted his eyes as much as possibly to prevent the small amount of luminescence they gave to reveal their location from the gathered ponies. _It would be after all, unfitting for a pony of his stature to be noticed during the night._

Chuckling at the various attitudes and responses, he returned his focus back to the search. Before him, various translucent orbs twinkled into sight, located exactly in the chest of each pony. From a quick glance, he could see a multitude of emotions affecting each of them, namely anticipation and nervousness being the prominent ones. Trail passed over each and every orb, looking for the missing one that he knew would be different than the others. However, as scanned, he quickly did a double take on one particular soul, it was the kind he did not expect to have been brought to the meeting.

"Why is there a filly?"

"That's Lunar Pearl, sir," Shade Flare said with a sigh. "She… well, it wasn't an option to leave her behind. I was actually hoping you might be able to do something about it."

"What's the problem?"

"She overheard a conversation about the gathering and had insisted to join. We, of course, denied her but she then threatened to reveal the whole thing to everypony. No matter what threats we made, she wouldn't budge between either coming with, or turning us all in."

"I see," Trail merely commented..

Shade Flare looked back and forth between the clearing and Trail. "Are… Are you upset that we brought her, sir?"

"No, it's quite alright. Better now than later I suppose. Our success depends on the future generations such as herself. She can be the first of her age to learn."

Shade Flare nodded in reply and remained quiet, waiting patiently for Trail to finish scanning the members.

He would inspect each one in detail later, but for now he returned his focus on locating the twenty-fourth orb, a feat that took less than a minute as his vision expanded outside the clearing. Nestled within the tall branches of one of the trees, a reddish orb flickered. _It appears they can use some powers, most likely passed down by family bloodlines of the more powerful members. I wonder which one he had descended from._

Trail closed his eyes once more, and opened again, now returned to his normal red color. "Let us greet our guests," he announced. Shade Flare nodded his head, slightly wary at sudden change of his eyes.

The soft lull of conversation became noticeable as they neared the group. From what Trail could tell, they whispered with a mixture of eager tones, and nervousness. While he knew how the majority felt, he could only wonder what they were thinking, knowing that they would soon meet a pony that had only be told to them in old fables behind closed doors.

When the first pony spotted them, her ears immediately dropped, her legs locked into place, and her eyes became impossibly wide. Trail could faintly detect her rising heart rate, and politely suppressed the urge crack a smirk. It was only a few more moments before they entered the clearing before the rest of the group responded in similar fashion.

Some visibly locked up like the mare, while others twitched with anticipation, their ears pricking forward as they watched Trail's every movement. All conversation ceased in the clearing, causing it to become eerily silent. The sound of blood rushing through their bodies nearly drowned out their hearing as looked onto Trail with awe, still grasping with the idea that he was indeed walking towards them.

Heading straight to the middle, Trail strode purposely forward, only making eye contact with the few in his way that scrambled quickly when they realize he was heading right for them. When he did reach the center of the clearing, he stopped, and gave a long look out into the crowd surrounding him. All their eyes were on him, and a warm feeling spread through his chest at seeing their faces. Though their features were different, many similarities remained. And in truth, he welcomed the new changes openly. Having known Shade Flare the longest, he had grown fond of their tuft ears, leathery wings, and slitted eyes. And having a group gathered before him, caused even more heartfelt feelings to flow out. They were the only thing familiar in an unfamiliar land and time.

His mood to them however, remained unknown and passive, as he held a stone set face while looking out to each and everyone one of them. To his delight, only a few turned their gaze away from him, the majority keeping full eye contact with him when he looked upon them.

When he had reached the last one within the clearing, he turned his gaze upwards and towards a specific tree at the edge of the clearing. When nothing stirred upon his stare, he loudly spoke out for all to hear. "Please, come down from there, I would like to have everypony within easy sight."

The crowd's heads followed Trail's gaze and watched as the branches of the tree shift slightly. Shortly after, a form dropped from its branches and onto the ground with a small thud. Looking closely, Trail saw a young batpony, barely a stallion; stare up at him with wide and fearful eyes.

The rest of the ponies began to murmur quietly, unable to believe that he had spotted Ebon Wing so easily, a feat nopony else had managed ever since he first learned of his ability.

Shade Flare let a small smile break his lips. _Ebon Wing always depended on that trick of his. I can't imagine how he feels on seeing his best defense be shattered so easily._

"Please," Trail spoke in a more gentle tone. "Come, join the rest of us."

Ebon Wing hesitantly stepped a hoof forward, his body shaking visibly at having been found. With a gulp, he moved to join the rest of them, preferring to stay closer to the back to have some protection between him and Trail.

Trail waited until the murmuring died down and each pony was quiet, waiting expectantly for him to speak again. Finally, breaking his passive mood, he let out the first smile they had seen of him, and he spoke on to them with a compassionate voice. "My brothers, sisters, I have returned."

Lifting his chest, he assumed a regal pose as his hooves dug into the grass, the stance bringing back memories of calling out to a crowd so many times before. "I want to thank each and every one of you for coming here tonight. I know that doing so was a great risk, and not an easy one to make. You are all gathered here because I requested it. You heard my whispers, and desired to see if they were true or not. You wished to know the truth, one that only a short time ago, you were denied of by being completely unaware. I am stricken with grievance to the fact that none of you know your heritage, your _true_ heritage. To know that I, a forgotten relic of the past that walks the land again, am a part of your family. And that you all are my brothers and sisters."

Trail paused to gauge the reactions of the small crowd, their eyes still wide with awe.

"I will not speak out harshly against the Princess's that you have served over these thousand years, only that _they_ have done you a large injustice. I am not entirely aware of how they manage to accomplish what they did to you, nor the full extent of your treatment during my absence. But I promise you, the lies of the Royal Sister's will be no more. For tonight, you take the first step to reclaim who you once were!"

"Look upon me, and see your history. For I, am the Night Walker of old, Lord of the Vamponies, and I have come to reclaim my kin."

They crowd remained quiet, many with their mouths open. Each of them was transfixed by the pony standing before them, filled with awe and wonder. His stance was regal, his coat blacker than night, his mane silver as the stars, his eyes a piercing red, and his voice so clear and commanding that it demanded attention and respect. Everything about his presence radiated a power that matched the Royal Sister's themselves. It was as if they had seen a long lost king come straight from the pages of an old novel.

"If you're a vampony, where's your wings?" a small voice called out in the moment of hushed awe.

Every pony turned around and moved aside to reveal a small filly in the far back that had interrupted Trail's speech. Tension grew within the crowd as some began to nervously flicker their eyes between her and him in fear of what punishment may occur to the little filly. Shade Flare stared dumbfounded towards her until his teeth came together in a slow grind. "Sir, I deeply apologize for her actions, I take full responsibility. Please do as you-"

"Nonsense, I will handle it." Trail interjected. Shade Flare shot a concerned expression, unsure of what he intended. He did not want to see the filly incur his wrath, but he would be unable to stand up to him should he decide to punish her.

"My dear, what is your name?" Trail asked.

"Lunar Pearl," she answered calmly, unaware of the thick atmosphere that was settling onto every other pony.

"And how would you, Lunar Pearl, a filly, know anything about vamponies?"

Each pony turned to Lunar Pearl for her reply, their breaths held for fear of how the conversation might turn out.

Much to the dismay of everypony, Lunar Pearl puffed up her cheeks. "Just because I am a filly, doesn't mean I'm stupid. If you're part of our family, then why don't you have any wings? Every batpony I've seen has wings."

For the crowd, it was like watching a pony dig her own grave with each uttered word. To their surprise however, Trail merely chuckled in reply.

"An astute observation my dear. To answer it simply, you are the product of tampering by the Royal Sisters. As I said, I do not know what they have done, but its obvious there were certain features they were unable to remove, your wings being one of them. Tell me, does _this_ seem familiar?"

The closest ponies jumped back as streaks of shadows immediately began to circle around Trail's torso, spinning around him like possessed ribbons wrapping a present. Moments later they faded away, leaving two appendages to the stallion's body that were not there before. With a swift motion, Trail unfurled his wings, causing a soft ' _thwamp_ ' sound.

Each ponies mouth, and Lunar Pearl's, were open as they stared in disbelief at what had just happened. All except for Shade Flare.

 _I bet I looked a lot like them when he had first shown me. Who would expect an earth pony to know magic, and the kind of magic that can use darkness itself to create wings? Something that hasn't been seen in Equestria in a long time._

"Now let me educate you on vamponies, Lunar Pearl," Trail said coldly, causing Shade Flare's smug smile to dropped instantly. Trail took a step forward towards Lunar Pearl with his wings still flared, while she in turn, stepped backwards reflexively. " _Do not move,_ " Trail commanded, his voice holding her still as if he had casted a spell.

It was then that Lunar Pearl finally felt the fear that the rest of the crowd had been feeling, the fears of a small filly who had pressed the wrong button to many times. Trail, who for all her care, appeared as a normal pony only moments before, was now the source of all her fears she had felt. She contemplated on running regardless of how he spoke to her and whatever further trouble she would be in, but when her eyes met his, the urge was dashed in an instant.

His red eyes seem to pierce her very being and plant her firmly to her spot. As red as they were, they seemed old, unmoving, and more terrifyingly, unknown. She was not able to see the emotions or reason behind those eyes, or why they were now moving towards her.

The rest of the ponies felt a tightness in their chest at the horror what was surely about to be cruel sight, some fidgeting while they internally battle themselves, ready to stand to her defense if it were not for the crippling fear of receiving whatever punishment she was surely about to be dealt. Even Shade Flare found himself unable to speak up for her, for he too had once witnessed they way Trail approached her, and wished with all his being that it would end in a similar, and non-damaging, fashion.

Trail stopped his approach on a few hoofsteps away, looking down at Lunar Pearl who had fell to her knees and was now shaking, a small whimper escaping her lips as she stared up towards him. She didn't even dare to blink.

His face was unrevealing as he glared down to her small form while his wings shifted above his head, his body appearing as if to ready himself for what would surely be a strike. Lunar Pearl ducked her head and threw her hooves over herself to protect herself against the coming attack the best she could, waiting for the imminent pain of who knows what to lash at her. She heard the other ponies in the crowd gasp and she gulped, waiting for what seemed to be forever on whatever was to come. But instead of a sharp pain, his voice spoke instead.

"Feel them," he said softly.

Still shaking, she reluctantly removed a hoof and peeked up. What she saw was not an angry vampire lord of the past, ready to deal what surely would have been a harsh blow or an evil spell. But instead, saw one of his wings dipped down towards her, and his cold stare replaced with the stony expression he wore when he first entered the clearing. She stared at him, then his wing in confusion, not entirely sure of what he was asking of her.

"Go on, touch them."

Looking at him, his face still held a passive mood that she was unable to read. She wasn't sure if he was tricking her or not into something even worse, but decided to tempt fate anyway. A brief thought of being banished to some evil dimension the moment she touched his wing crossed her mind.

She slowly reached out a hoof and placed it on the wing membrane, flinching slightly when she made contact. But instead of rippling magic, she felt soft skin. Crossing her brows, she brushed her hoof along the membrane, feelings its almost fuzzy surface tickle her hoof. She followed it all along to the wing forearm, and felt the hard bone that supported the form, and small tufts of fur outlining it.

"See, not so different than yours, are they?"

She looked back to Trail, and found that his face had turned into a gentle smile, his eyes no longer foreboding or threatening. With her mind trying to catch up in the turn of events, and in not being in troubles, she answered his question by moving her other hoof to touch her own wings, and compared the feeling between the two. After a strokes on both wings, she quietly mumbled in surprise, "No… they feel the same."

"That's because we are connected," he said. Trail knelt down and tucked his hoofs beneath him to look at her at eye level. "We may seem different on some of the things on the outside, but I assure you, little Lunar Pearl, we share the same blood. _Vampony_ blood. And that, my dear, makes us family."

Lunar Pearl stared up to Trail in awe, still figuring out how he had turned from such a scary pony into the nice one that was smiling at her now. Her brain was unable to form any words, and so she simply nodded to him.

A collective sigh was heard as everypony else let out a breath of relief. Many of their worries now vanished into the night at seeing the kindness of their claimed to be ancestor. Any doubts they had before of his behaviors were settled in the safe knowledge that he was at least kind to small fillies and colts.

They were all quiet as they took in the comforting moment, before a sharp noise cut through the night air.

* ** _CRACK_** *

Trail's ears flicked at the sudden noise of a twig breaking within the forest. Immediately he stood up and stared coldly in the direction of the noise in the shrouded woods. The rest of the group followed in suit and joined his gaze, some looking into the darkness fearfully on who might have discovered their secret meeting, others with anger in their eyes for the intruder that dared to track them.

Trail shot Shade Flare a questioning glance, in which Shade Flare replied in a hushed voice, "There should have been no evidence to go by that this meeting was in place, I have no idea who it might be, sir."

Trail narrowed his eyes before turning them back to the forest. He ran over the options in his mind, unsure if whatever lurked in the shadows was a true threat or not. Quickly, he decided a course of action, and issued a low command. "Hide yourselves, and prepare for a potential fight."

The bat ponies gave each other unsure looks; they had not expected a fight to happen during the meeting, especially for a pony they had just met. Some began to worried if they had made the right choice in even agreeing to come here. Shade Flare however, cut short any hesitations or doubts the ponies had as he repeated the orders. "You heard him, get into formations! Ebon Wing, take Lunar Pearl," he hissed.

As silent as possible, the group of bat ponies scattered into the surrounding trees of the clearing, blending into the low shrubbery and tall branches of the trees with stealthy trots and flaps of leather wings. Using their familiarity with the night and their dark coat color, they pressed themselves against the darkest shadows they could find, and braced themselves for whatever foe that might appear from the woods. Ebon Wing quickly scooped up Lunar Pearl and flew to one of the highest branches, her eyes still locked onto Trail as she was taken away. Once they were all in place, Trail glanced over where they had all gone, ensuring none of them were revealing themselves in some manner. Although his eyes that saw the night as day were able to pick out a few here and there, he knew that no normal pony would be able to spot them. He huffed quietly with pride. _They aren't as skilled as their ancestors, but they do not disappoint._

Checking once more each one was securely hidden and receiving a nod from Shade Flare on completion, Trail withdrew his focus once more from everything around him, and brought forth his Ponyville personality.

"Now, let's see who's causing a fuss this late at night," he cheerfully spoke.

* * *

Applejack treaded deeper into the woods as carefully and quietly as she could. The fire and determination that minutes ago had thrust her into the situation were cooled when it became very apparent she could not continue running recklessly through the dark woods. One reason was due to the noise, and the second was because of the near misses she had of nearly crashing head first into the trees.

Now she was stepping gingerly across the forest floor, squinting hard into the shadows to make out anything else that wasn't a tree or a bush, all while trying to watch her own footing.

"Dangnabbit, how in Equestria did Trail and his partner get through here?" she grumbled to herself in a hushed voice. She couldn't imagine them having gotten far ahead of her, but due to the rate she was traversing the forest now, she was afraid she might fall back behind or even worse, lose them.

Seconds turned to minutes as Applejack steadily made her way between the trees, her eyes starting to become sore due to the constant squinting. Each time she thought she might have spotted something, it turned out to only be a trick of the shadows. The constant trudging unknowingly placed terrain and lack of any hints of the ponies she pursued began to become disheartening; she was afraid that she had already lost them and was wondering aimlessly through the woods late at night.

"Shoot," she whispered. "They can't have gone too far in."

Twisting her head around, she was met with the same sight in every direction; outlines of trees followed by inky thick darkness. She was beginning to consider it was pointless to continue searching and focus on getting back out of the woods least she become lost herself.

 _Not yet, just a little farther._ _Ah'm sure they're out here_ , she thought, convincing herself to keep going.

Determined again, she trudged on purposefully. However, her focus on her will to find the two hidden ponies made her fail to notice the thick twig in front of her, just below the knees. With a deaf defying crack that echoed throughout the darkness, Applejacks heart froze and then promptly sunk. She remained perfectly still at the realization of her action; her heart pounding loudly as her ears flipped about to hear anything that might have responded to the loud noise.

After a minute of silence, she finally dared to move her hoof off the twig and stepped over as quickly as possible. _Ah sure hope whatever's out here didn't hear that._ With her heart still pounding, she began to continue making her way through the woods.

Shortly after the twig crunch, she squeezed her eyes again in attempt to see what lay ahead of her. From what she could see, it looked like a break in the forest; a brighter section only a small gallop away. Hoping that everything she had done so far had not gone to waste, she quietly and quickly made her way to the clearing, taking extra care to not step on any more branches.

Eventually she reached the line of trees and peered from behind a trunk she leaned against at what might be occupying the clearing. Her body froze when she made out Trail standing in the middle, his head pointed towards the sky.

 _What is he up to out here? And where's the other fella?_ Applejack took a long look around, attempting to spot any other pony that may have been hiding within the trees as well. But she was unable to spot a single thing besides trees and shadows.

Having been so focused on spotting the second pony, Applejack failed to notice Trail was now heading towards her hiding spot until it was too late. When she turned her head back to him she immediately jerked it back behind the tree, he was too close for her to move away from her hiding spot without being seen. Applejack panicked, unable to decide what to do in such little time, that she did the first thing that popped into her mind.

Become a tree.

Trail's soft steps could be heard as he drew nearer, but they were hardly heard over the sound of Applejacks heart beating furiously. With her eyes squeezed tight she repeated in her mind, _Please don't let him see me please don't let him see me please don't let him see me please don't-_

"Applejack?"

 _Crab Apples_.

Applejack opened her eyes to see a very confused Trail paused in mid stride staring directly at her, his eyebrows narrowed in attempts to discern her behavior. "May I ask… what are you doing to that tree?"

Applejack stared wide eyed at Trail, realization how she looked towards him. Her entire body was plastered as tight as she could manage against the tree while standing on her hind hooves. With a brief eye shift from him to the tree and back again, she disembarked the tree and fell onto four hooves. "Ah… could… ask you the same thing as to why you are out here," she retorted.

"You mean my stargazing?"

"Is that what you're really doing?" she asked skeptically, no longer embarrassed on her discovery and completely focused on catching him red hoofed.

"Of course," Trail responded with a smile. "I'm sure you've seen the stars, they are absolutely beautiful tonight! And, afterfall, is it my cutie mark." Trail briefly flashed his mark, a red crescent moon with hoof prints beneath it.

Applejack eyed his mark skeptically, then glanced at the stars. "They are pretty tonight. Almost pretty e'nuff to maybe watch with a friend maybe?"

Trail's demeanor became unsure as he replied, "I… suppose so. Are you… are you asking for me to watch with you? I never pegged you for astronomy."

Applejack sighed and reached up to tilt her hat forward. "Let's cut to the chase, who are you out here with and why are you here?"

"Whatever do you mean?"

"You know what ah mean! Ah saw you and another pony meeting up at your place and heading off into tha woods!"

Trail eyes shifted about as he took a step back, "I-I don't know what you're talking about. Are you sure you weren't seeing things? The shadows can play tricks on the eyes you know."

 _Gotcha_ , Applejack thought as a satisfied smile crept on her face, her eyes narrowed in accusation. "Ah wasn't imagining things, and I know you're lying to me. You've been lying this whole time! Ah'm tired of you prancing around like you got every pony wrapped around your hoof. You've been nothing but suspicious since the day you've arrived. Ah know you're up to something and you're gona tell me right now what is!"

Trail eyes shifted about the darkness as if he was looking for a way to escape the mare. This only made her surer of herself as she took a step forward in case he did decide to bolt for it. As she did, she thought she heard the faint sound of leaves rustling in the trees around them. As she began to turn her head to find the source of the noise, Trail suddenly shouted, "OKAY I'LL TELL YOU!"

Applejack paused and turned back to Trail.

"I'll tell you," he repeated more calmly. He took a deep breath in and exhaled as he sat onto the forest floor. His eyes then locked onto hers as he spoke in probably the most serious tone she had ever heard him speak in. "Applejack, what do you know of vamponies?"

Applejack stared blankly at him for a good ten seconds before replying, "Vamponies?"

Trail confirmed with a nod.

"Ya mean... tha monster costume ponies dress up as on Nightmare Night?"

"No, I'm talking about _real_ … vamponies."

Applejacks eyebrows became furrowed as she pointed a hoof at him, "You do know vamponies aren't real right?"

"No," he replied, a smile growing on his face. "They're real alright. In fact, I've spent a large portion of my life studying them. You see, vamponies are actually real and hidden about Equestria!"

Applejack stared at the stallion as if he had just gone mad. When his grin didn't disappear Applejack spoke in an unsteady voice, "Uh, Trail, ah know you're the therapist and I'm not… but… doesn't that sound just a _tad_ bit crazy to you?"

His grin vanished as he took on a hurt face. "No no! You see, they are real! I'm sure of it! I've been collecting data on them to prove their existence, and I almost have enough to go public! You see, that's why I met one of my partners tonight to exchange information!"

"So you were out here with another pony," Applejack accused, once again a hard look on her face.

"Yes I was, but I swear it was only to share information on vamponies! Please, you've got to believe me! They are real and I'm afraid there might even be one or two in Ponyville. You have to promise you won't tell a soul about this! I can't afford them knowing that I'm onto them and so close to exposing their existence!"

Applejack took a step back as he began to shuffle towards her, his face desperate and begging. Her mouth fell open and she took on a confused look as he rambled on about vamponies. Of all the things she was expecting, this was definitely not what she had in mind. She thought that Trail was scheming some evil plot to take over Ponyville or something similar like Queen Chrysalis during the wedding. _But to believe in vamponies?_ What was worse, is that she felt like he was telling the truth, that he actually did full heartedly believe in their existence. Before she at least had a feeling that he was deceiving her and her friends, but now she knew that Trail was telling the honest truth. It worried and confused her, part of her feeling foalish suspecting him of something dastardly, another for worry of a full grown stallion believing in something like vamponies.

"Trail," she interrupted, but paused as she saw his pleading face. With a sigh she said, "Ah promise ah won't tell anypony." _Who would believe me anyways?_ she thought. "But I think you should maybe get your head checked out. I know it's your business to get into other ponies heads, but maybe you should let one in yours."

Trail's face sunk lower and lower, his behavior becoming more erratic. "B-but... I have books! I've been collecting for years on any material that has information on them! For example, they will burn in sunlight! And they hate garlic! It's all there I swear!"

Applejack backed away a few steps as he reached out for her. "Whoa now, take it easy. Just, calm down now okay?" _Poor fella has been reading too many stories_ , she thought. "Look Trail, ah will keep my word about not spreading the word, but just please don't expect me to believe something like vamponies. Look, ah'm sorry ah followed you out here and suspected you of something okay. Let's just… call it a night, and maybe talk about it more some other day. That sound good?" she said as sweetly as possible.

"Would you… mind if I did show you what I had on vamponies at least? I promise they are real and I have been collecting data on them."

"Weeeeeeee can do that…" Applejack hesitantly replied. "Maybe later like... next week?"

A glimmer of hope shined back in Trail's eyes as he stood straight up. "Yes of course! Next week. I'll get everything I have so far and show you what I've discovered. I promise that you won't be disappointed!"

"Well then, it's a date. But for now, I really ought to be getting back home. You uh… take care now, okay?" Applejack said turning away from him.

"I will, have a lovely night!" Trail called out to her.

Applejack awkwardly waved back until she was unable to see him anymore from the blocking trees. With a large exhale she sighed as she trudged her way out of the woods. "Celestia do I feel like a foal, letting my imagination run wild like that." She trudged through the forest and was shortly back at the stick she had broken. "Vamponies…" she mumbled. "I knew there was something wrong with that fella, but vamponies? He's not a little colt anymore. And to think I was going to invite him to my house!"

As she continued on, not caring in the slightest of the trudging sounds she made, she ran her mind over the recent revelation. _Ah suppose it does fit with his personality though. An eccentric stallion needs eccentric beliefs. I guess that's why I've been getting such a weird vibe off him. He actually believes in vamponies! Ah mean, that mumbo-jumbo hypno stuff is already a stretch, but vamponies! Really? I sure went on a wild goose hunt tonight._

Applejack eventually saw the break in the trees and found herself on the outskirts of Ponyville. With one last look over her shoulder to the woods behind her she threw a very dissatisfied grunt and began to head back home.

"Vamponies… Of all things…"

* * *

Trail watched with cold eyes as Applejack began to make her way off, her face holding the most unbelievably fake smile while waving back awkwardly. Little did she know that there were over two dozen other eyes locked onto her since she had arrived.

Trail exhaled once she vanished into the woods and the sounds of her breaking branches faded. He felt like he should not have been surprised to see who it was that tailed them, but he had to admit it was better than an informant of Celestia or Luna that had manage to discover their meeting. At one point in the conversation he knew he was not going to be able to squirm by her without pressing the matter dangerously further.

 _Applejack, you are very lucky tonight that I didn't allow the five bat ponies above us act out in fear._

Trail played a gamble in confessing part of the truth to her, hoping the rest of them would not intervene and do something that would have been hard to deal with later. But it had thankfully paid off, and now Applejack thought of him as crazy stallion instead of somepony that needed to be watched; at least in the suspicious sense, something that was much more manageable.

Once again, he closed his eyes and shifted personalities to his former self. Straightening his form, he turned around and walked out into the clearing again, the bodies of other ponies slowly revealing themselves as they came to join him.

Shade Flare was the first to approach him, a look of concern on his face. "Was it wise to reveal something like that to her?"

"Applejack is the Element of Honesty," Trail replied. "I do not think she is aware of it but, but I suspect she has the innate sense of being able to tell if a pony is lying or not. Whether that is from being the Element of Honesty, or a natural talent, I cannot say. It would have been foalish of me to continue with that charade in any case. Telling her some of the truth without lying is the best option for now."

Shade Flare stared out into the forest where Applejack had disappeared into, mulling over the possible implications of the nights events. "So," he said as the rest of the bat ponies appeared into the clearing. "Vamponies hate garlic?"

"No, but I do. Always hated the taste of it." Trail replied.

Trail turned back around to face the crowd, giving a nod towards Shade Flare who bowed before stepping aside to join the rest. Clearing his throat, Trail resumed. "With that out of the way, let us is time you knew our history. Our _true_ history."


	7. Chapter 7

_I'm sorry, so terribly sorry,_  
 _But this thirst I cannot contain._

 _I see your tears, and hear your prayers,_  
 _Just please know, I feel the same._

 ** _*Knock Knock*_**

"Trail? Hello!?"

Twilight stood at the doorstep as she waited for him to respond, wondering if he could even hear her from wherever inside the house he was. "Trail! Are you there?" When there was still no reply, she brought her hoof to her chin. "Did he forget that he invited me over? Or maybe I got the time wrong. I could have sworn he said four-thirty. Or was it five-thirty?" Just as she was considering trying again at a different time, a sudden crash from inside the house nearly made her jump.

"Trail?"

Worried that he may have finally injured himself due to his clumsiness, Twilight decided to risk intrusion over pointlessness and hesitantly opened the door. Pushing in enough to fit her head, she crane her neck and peered about the house."Hellooooo… Trail?"

"Twilight! Is that you?" Trail's muffled voice replied, indicating that he was on the second floor.

"Yes, it's me! Is everything okay? Should I come back another time?"

The thud of hoof steps above her pounded about as he shouted down, "No! Actually, you had picked a perfect time to stop by! I'm in desperate need of help for something!"

 _But you were the one who invited me,_ she thought. However, during the time she had come to know him, she found it wasn't unusual for the eccentric stallion to set up a time and place just to forget he had even made the arrangement in the first place. It was one of the few irritating traits she tolerated due to his other more positive behaviors.

"Please come upstairs as I finish packing!" Trail said.

"Packing?" After closing the door behind her, she curiously made her way up the stairs, her head peeking between the rails as she ascended. Judging from the sound of his rapid hoof steps, she figured he was in his study room. Wondering what could possibly be the reason for a sudden departure from Ponyville, she trotted down the hall and into the study.

While the room may have been somewhat messy at times for one reason or another, Twilight was shocked to find the entire place in disarray. Furniture were shifted from their usual spots from what she assumed was him running into them, books and papers were scattered about the floor, and even some of the carpets were partially upturned from his hooves catching beneath them.

Besides the mess however, her eye had caught the sight of a large and open brief case set atop of the chaise she had laid on during their sessions. It haphazardly held various trinkets, books, and wrinkled papers as if he had simply decided to stuff them in without any organization.

"What in Equestria are you doing?" Twilight asked as she entered. Without answer however, Trail suddenly appeared from the right and dashed past her to the book shelf on the other end of the study. He quickly began to mumble off titles his hoof past over, his face holding a look of panic and worry. She had never seen him like this before, and found herself speechless for some moments as she watched him move about in a flurry, picking up things here and there and either throwing them aside onto the floor, or into the open briefcase.

"Trail... what is going on!?" Twilight asked.

He did not pause his frantic searching in the slightest as he answered her. "Something has come up and needs my immediate attention!"

"What is it? Is it serious? Do you need any help?" Twilight asked as she moved towards the chaise, inspecting the various items within it.

"Can't say, very much so, and yes!" he answered in succession. As he glanced about in case he spotted something he might have forgotten, he returned to the briefcase and began shoving its contents down so he could close the lid.

"Twilight, I need you to watch my house while I'm gone. I… I don't know when I'll be back, but until I return, please come by every few days to check if everything is in order. Can you do that for me?" he asked between heavy breaths.

"I... y-yeah... I can do that," Twilight stuttered at the suddenness of his request. "But you need to tell me what is going on. What's so urgent that requires you to leave Ponyville? I mean, look at this place! What has you so worked up?" Twilight's eyes widened as she pointed a hoof toward him. "What about your clients!?"

Trail's eyes darted away as he answered, "They will just have to reschedule. I promise to make it up to them when I return."

"Trail, you're worrying me. Please, tell me what is going on."

"I… I can't," he replied while looking away. "I deeply apologize for my inability to explain everything to you, but this isn't something I can reveal. Not yet at least." Twilight opened her mouth to question him further, but paused when he did finally look her in the eye. And they held a look of sorrow she had not seen in him before. "I promise soon that I will, after what I have to do is done."

Unable to understand exactly what was happening, Twilight's fear and confusion of the situation only grew as she begged. "Please, whatever it is... it sounds important. I'm here to help you in anyway I can. Sure I can watch your house, but there must be something else I can do. You're really starting to worry me..."

Trail visibly squirmed under her pleading face, but shook his head in unwavering resolution. With one last shove, he squeezed in the last of the contents and shut the briefcase. "I'm sorry Twilight, but I can't go into the details. Not now." Without looking directly at her, he passed her with a dead set expression.

"Trail…" Twilight spoke as she followed him out the room.

"A couple things about the house," he began to explain. "Don't worry about the dusting, I won't be gone that long I think. There are a few items in the kitchen that need to be eaten soon or they will expire. Please keep most of the doors closed when not using a room. Don't let anypony in while I'm gone." Trail ran off the mental list he had prepared for her in his head while Twilight followed closely. He even continued spouting off things as he went down the stairs. "Don't worry about the garden, as you know it's already maintained by the previous landlord. But if you see him, please tell him to lay off the roses a bit next trimming. Also, I have a few potted Moon Drop flowers in the living room. I trust you are aware of their special needs?"

"Y-yes," Twilight responded, trying to keep up with his quickening pace. Her mind was still reeling over the sudden development of everything that was happening.

As they reached the bottom of the stairs, Trail glanced briefly back at her and gave a smile in satisfaction she had caught everything. "Good. I already watered them last full moon. And the next one will come in a few days, so please make sure you tend to them during that night. It's up to you if you want to sleep here or not, and you are more than welcome to scratch the rule of no guests if it's only your friends. I don't mind if they come over. Just… don't let Miss Pie throw any parties that are _too_ wild. The spare key is under the front side hanging flowerbed. Additionally, while I'm gone, you of course have full access to the house, including my study. So please feel free to read any of the books."

Twilight practically skidded to a halt as a gleam crossed her eyes. "Really!?" she asked with sudden excitement.

"Of course, just make sure you take good care of them." Trail paused momentarily with a blank expression before chuckling and moving forward again. "Look at me, telling a librarian to take care of books!"

Twilight's smile over the sudden privilege and prospect of reading quickly vanished as she swung back into the present. "W-wait! Is there anything else I need to know? Also, for the hundredth time, will you please just tell me what is going on!?"

"There's no time, I need leave right now." Trail gripped the briefcase in his teeth and continued out the front door. Twilight could only wordlessly follow, her mind running a mile per minute over why he could possibly be leaving, why he couldn't tell her, and trying to remember everything he had delegated to her control. She however, did stop as she stood in between the doorway, watching him walk up the front path with worry. Before he cleared the threshold of the yard fence, Trail stopped and set the briefcase down onto the cobble walk, and turned to look back at Twilight. "And Twilight, promise me that you will be careful while I'm gone."

"Trail… I don't understand," she simply said.

"Just promise me," he repeated

The look in his eye didn't hold the normal juvenile or academic look he usually had. Instead, he looked at her with a gravely serious expression that she wasn't even sure it was his, so contrast it was to his normal behavior that it almost seemed unnatural for the eccentric stallion to wear. She was so caught off guard by that look, she found any further arguments inside her head quelled beneath his gaze, and could only agree to his mysterious requests.

"Alright… I promise," she softly said. "But you have to promise when you get back, that you will explain everything to me. Okay?"

Trail's serious expression gave way to a much more reassuring smile. "I will, of that you can be sure of." He bent down to pick the briefcase in his teeth again, and began to walk at a expedient pace down street. Not once looking back at his home, or at her for that matter.

Twilight stood in the doorway, her eyes following him every step of the way until he shortly disappeared behind a building after turning a corner. She continued to stare after the spot he had vanished at, still trying to grasp what had just happened and the unknown severity it implied. She could not imagine what would cause him to act so, and it must have been grave indeed to cause him to drop everything he had in Ponyville.

"What in Equestria are you doing?" she asked forlornly.

* * *

Trail had been gone for five days. Of which Twilight had so far visited his house five times to check how everything was doing, though she knew that such frequent checking was perhaps a bit unnecessary. In truth, it was partly in hopes of catching him home one evening from wherever he had gone; finally having to no longer need to worry about him and to receive an explanation of what it was he was doing. But not a letter arrived or a sign of his return. She didn't even know how long he would away.

Twilight had gone to her friends for advice on the situation, even asking if they had noticed something different lately that may explain his behavior. None of them were particularly helpful, especially Applejack who already had a slight unfavorable opinion of him. She simply told her that he was probably off chasing some legend he found in his books and that he had a weak grasp on what's real or not.

Receiving no help from outside opinions on the matter, Twilight was left to brood by herself on the reason for his actions. Her mind reached to far highly unlikely conclusions to simple family related explanations, neither of which satisfied her any more than his answers when she had asked him at the time. She was left in the dark with no answers or hints, something that gnawed deeply inside her.

It was on the fifth night that it was supposed to be a full moon, and she had made a promise to him that she would keep everything in order. Something she took to right away the moment he had left, putting everything he had left out of place during his scrambling that first evening into their proper place. Tonight, she had just finished putting away dishes from dinner at Golden Oak Library and was heading towards the door to fulfill her granted duties.

"Spike, I'm heading over to Trail's, and I might stay for a while," she announced.

"This late?" Spike asked looking out the window, the sun had already been gone from the sky for an hour. "Are you sure there isn't a book here you want to read?"

"How do you know I'm going over to read?" Twilight asked. Her answered being returned as a raised eyebrow of skepticism from the little dragon. "Okay okay, so I'm going over to read," she admitted. "But I'm _also_ going over to water his Moon Drop flowers. I can't help it if I get caught up in a little reading as well.

"Spike, he left me his entire library to peruse while he's gone! Do you know how long I've been chomping at the bits for a chance like this? Normally he distracts me or comes up with a reason to avoid reading more than a book or two. And during the day I'm normally busy with one thing or another to even get a chance for a solid reading session."

Spike raised his hands over his head and began to walk out of the room. "Alright I get it, you don't have to explain anymore. But I'm going to bed once I'm done sweeping over here. And I expect you to not wake me up when you do come back home."

"Like that would ever happen," Twilight said rolling her eyes. "I'll be back, goodnight!"

"Yeah yeah, goodnight," he called over his shoulder.

With a relieved sigh, followed by a quick squeal for the upcoming few hours, Twilight trotted out the door and down the street.

* * *

Twilight reached the house she had been visiting every day, its dark form large and familiar as trotted up the stone path to the door. Humming a tune, she floated the spare key from underneath one of the hanging flower beds and levitated it into the lock. But instead of hearing a resounding click, the door swung partially open from the slight push.

Twilight raised an eyebrow, having sworn she had locked it yesterday after her usual check up. Cautiously she pushed it open the rest of the way with her hoof, and gave out a small gasp as she peered inside. Everywhere she looked, objects were strewn about the house in a mess. Furniture from rooms within sight were on their sides, and the floor was littered with small antiques and nick knacks.

 _Oh no, somepony has broken in! Oh my gosh oh my gosh! What if they took something? Of course they took something, look at this place! Who did this!?_

Feeling her responsibility of taking care of the house fly out the window, she cautiously stepped into the house, her hoof steps creating an echo throughout the building. Her eyes panned over every object, taking note of what she could see and cross referencing with what she knew belonged in each room.

She had only entered a few rooms before the sound of the back door slamming shut snapped her head and ears up. _The robber's still here! What do I do? Should I go get help?_

Running towards the back end of the house, she threw her hoofs onto the window sill and peered out into the night. Running through the garden and out into the field, she spotted the form of a pony racing away from the house. Her mind briefly considered the option to run for help on the matter, but the sight of the pony growing farther away ignited something within her. _Oh no you don't. You don't rob the house I'M charged with watching and get away with it!_

With a burst of light Twilight appeared in the back garden. Squinting her eyes towards the fleeing figure she filled her lungs and yelled, "STOP RIGHT THERE!"

The pony paused at the sound of her voice and turned around, regarding her for a heartbeat before resuming its charge towards the woods with renewed speed. Gritting her teeth Twilight disappeared in another flash of light and reappearing behind the pony as it broke through the tree line. The trees broke Twilights line of sight before she could grab him or her with her magic.

Grunting in frustration she tucked her wings and began the pursuit, determined to not let them get away with stealing Celestia-knows-what. Flaring her horn, she casted a simple spell to illuminate the path before her. The close knit of trees made the forest much darker than the streets and fields around Ponyville, only allowing her to see a short distance ahead even with her magic. Had a pony seen her from a distance, she would have appeared as a purple willow-wisp zipping through the forest, casting a soft glow on everything she passed.

Twilight held a steady pace, always keeping sight of the pony's heels kicking in a mad dash, a dark cloak billowing behind that covered most of its form.. How the pony was able to find a clear path through the sudden trees that sprang from the darkness as they sprinted, Twilight was unsure. But somehow the pony managed, jumping over bushes and dashing past trees as if they knew the woods by hoof. Besides the pony's ease of navigating the woods, she was growing confident that who she pursued was in fact a stallion. From the appearance of his build beneath the cloak and the sound of his heavy breaths, she was sure the robber was a 'he'. Unfortunately for her, was proving to be very quick and agile despite his size; he would probably take first in the running of the leaves on how he ran.

Every time Twilight flared her horn brighter to cast a spell to hold the robber and freeze his moments, he immediately ducked behind a tree from the increase of light, breaking her line of sight. She would give a small 'tch' in annoyance before speeding up to try once more.

As many time as he did vanish for a moment within the forest growth, she always managed to be on his heels again. The increasingly hard pace gave her no time to wonder how she always managed catch up, only briefly thinking that it was mere luck or chance she always found him again. But what started out as seconds for the chase quickly became a minute, then a couple more. For Twilight, the pursuit seemed to stretch out much longer, her mind completely zoned in on keeping sight on the pony while dodging at the last second each shrub and tree that appeared before her from the darkness.

She briefly crossed over the fact that she was unable to track where and how far they were woods, their path having been haphazard and random, but she didn't pay much heed to the concern while in the heat of the moment; however far they had come a quick teleport would bring her back.

The pony dashed behind another tree for the umpteenth time, causing Twilight to surge forward to clear the corner as quickly as possible and catch sight of him again like before. But as she rounded the corner, she immediately skidded to a halt. The pony that should had only been a few hoof steps behind from was suddenly gone.

Catching her breath, she began to swing her head frantically to and fro to spot some sign of where he had gone. With a few shifts of her narrow eyes to spot something in the gloom, she flared her horn brighter to reveal more of the area. _He can't have just disappeared!_ she thought in disbelief. There was nothing close enough to the tree for the pony to have hid behind during the brief amount of time it took Twilight to run past, which meant that he somehow found a hiding spot somewhere very close.

"Where are you!? Show yourself!" she demanded, her head still on a swivel as she began to pace in circles, staring at every nook and shadow for some sign of the pony. Eyeing trees and bushes, she scanned everything near her meticulously, her horn storing more magic in case she had need for a sudden spell.

Her gaze had passed over a shrub as big as her before snapping back to it. She had spotted a flicker of movement from underneath it; her brows furrowed as a small grin formed upon figuring out where he had hid.

Like a cat sneaking upon a mouse, she cautiously moved towards the bush, her horn continuing to store magic for a large area freezing spell; she was determined to not let him get away again. "I know you're there, come out and surrender or I'll blast you away!" she threatened once she had enough magic, attempting to scare the pony out of hiding.

Twilight warily kept her distance, waiting for him to make the next move, or until she got tired of waiting and ripped the shrub out from the ground. As she considered the option, flares of movement came from underneath the brush, confirming something was indeed hiding within it. But it was shifting about in an odd way, and without sound. With her eyes squinted, she carefully bent down to look under the brush from her position, unable to discern exactly what was hiding beneath.

As she peered towards the bush, the movement suddenly ceased, causing her ears to prick forward in response. Frozen in apprehension for some kind of movement to follow, she became aware how quiet the forest suddenly seemed; her heartbeat echoing faintly in her ears with each pulse as her apprehensive grew. After a minute of silence, she started to open her mouth to call out again, but was cut off by the sudden rush of movement towards her, causing her to gasp instead.

Something thin and black had burst from beneath the shrub and latched onto her horn, gripping it tightly and pulling her closer with force that surprised her. "WHAT IN HARMONY-!?" Twilight shrieked while leaning back to resist its tugging. Her eyes shot up as she tried to make out whatever it was that had her in its grip. As impossible as it seemed, it appeared as if nothing but pure shadow was extending through the air and yanking her downward; its form blocking out chunks of light that was emanating from her horn, causing the woods around her to flicker between light and dark as she wrestled against it. Whatever it was that was pulling her, she had never seen or heard about it in any lecture or book. But she had neither the time or desire to figure out what it was at the moment, her instincts kicking in on urge to fight or flight.

"GET… OFF!" she screamed. She dug her hooves into the ground and began flapping her wings backwards in attempts to pull away. She managed to take a full step back before more shadows sprang from all around her, wrapping across various parts of her body and pulling with just as much strength. With her eyes darting about, she now had at least one or two were around each leg, and likewise for her wings; all of them pulling her apart in different directions and downward, forcing her down to the forest floor. She felt like Rainbow Dash when they had to lasso her down to restore her from Discord's tampering. Even more similar, she felt as angry as Rainbow Dash had been during the ordeal, if not even more.

"NGH! THAT'S! E-ENOUGH!" she growled. Focusing on her horn, she gathered as much magic as she could to cast a spell that would hopefully disperse whatever was attacking her. After a few moments the light from her horn began to shine through the tendril of shadow that had wrapped around it, causing it to become thinner and see through from the amount of magic she was preparing to release. She was able to make out some of the trees again as the light spilled outward, but before she could let loose her magic, a voice cut through the noise of her struggles.

"Magic Gone."

Immediately the energy that had been in her horn fizzled out, having whatever was left over drift away harmlessly. Even her spell that was illuminating the area around her before was no longer active, throwing everything into total darkness. Twilight's eyes went wide in confusion as to what had happened. Looking back up to her horn even though she could not see it, she tried focusing on it once more, attempting to draw forth her magic to cast the spell again. When she found no charge building, a sense of fear began to build inside of her. She quickly tried to cast the same spell that had illuminated the darkness before when she first entered the woods, but it was met with the same result.

"No…" she whispered in realization that her magic was not heeding her call. Her mind unable to understand how such a thing could happen, she started throwing her body in every direction, kicking out and rocking against the shadows that held her; all the while still trying to draw forth an inkling of magic for any spell that might help. Her heart sunk when she finally began to realize that nothing was coming to her no matter how hard she tried, not an ounce magic was building in her horn despite her efforts.

Twilight's heart began to race faster, panic and anxiety kicking in as she continued to desperately thrash about in defiance. The shadows tightened their grip and seemed even stronger now that her light spell had ceased, pulling her down in greater force than before. With a quick yank from the right, she buckled and fell to her knees. With another yank from the front, her head was forced down, causing her horn to dig into the ground and become covered in dirt.

Tears where forming around Twilight's eyes as she continued to struggle to fight against whatever was overwhelming her; trying to bury the fear of knowing full well that she was powerless to stop them. It was futile without her magic; her body was just not strong enough to resist their strength. But even knowing that she was not going to win, she continued to frantically twist and pull back. Reason and logic were forgone for the pure desire of survival, to fight with every breath and not succumb to the growing sense of dismay and anguish.

With another forceful yank, the shadows pulled her hooves out from under her, letting her body hit the crash to the ground and soliciting an 'OMPF!' from the mare. The moment she had buckled and fell, each tendril pulled outward and held her fast. Her legs were now completely extended in each direction, unable to bend or find any footing to continuing fighting back.

Twilight let out ragged breaths from the exertion of fighting the shadows coupled with the fact she had chased the stallion through the woods, her momentary flight of panic subsiding for a minute from the struggle. Her heart was pounding, she had bruises on her legs from falling, and her muscles were beginning to become sore from resisting and the shadow's grip.

Unable to continue fighting for the moment, she took the time to catch her breath while trying to figure out her next move. Her eyes drifted upwards the dim form of the tendril wrapped around her horn, thankful for the small fact that now that she pinned down, at least her horn was no longer in the dirt. With her eyes still adjusting to the night, she was barely able to make it out in the darkness, even more so from spots and blinking colors that filled her vision from her spend effort and energy. "Why… isn't my magic working?" she thought aloud, trying to come to reason as how she got into the situation in the first place.

The crack of a broken branch sounded through the woods, freezing her in place as it echoed around her. Throughout the struggle, she had completely fazed over the fact she was previously chasing a pony. A pony that was apparently still very near. _Is this his doing?_

The sound of a thud hitting the earth from behind caused her entire body to stiffen. _Sweet Celestia, he was above me in the trees!_

With a small gulp, her ears pricked back and forth for any other sound. Eventually, she was able to make out soft hoof steps slowly circling her; she was barely able to make them out over the pounding of her heart in her ears. They flicked madly to follow the sounds the pony faintly made as he was moved from her behind and to her front. She tried to turn her head to catch sight of him but the shadows held her still, only being able to manage a short twitch in her effort. Her eyes kept to her left, the side she was hearing the noise of the pony walking, a growing feeling of apprehension overwhelming her. Her eyes by now were well adjusted to the darkness since her spell had ended, and she was even beginning to make out the shapes of the trees nearby by. Of course the inky black tendrils that held her still appeared to be made of pure darkness; a notion that was that still ridiculous in the back of her head.

Flinching slightly, the pony finally made his way into her vision. She opened her mouth to demand an explanation of him of who he was and what he was doing; though she knew she wasn't in the best position to demand anything. But her voice caught in her throat and killed any words she had planned to say as she began to make out his details.

Still circling towards the front, was the pony that she had many glimpses throughout the night. But not once had she been able to see the face of the pony masked beneath the hood still thrown over his head, or the eyes that stared down at her in such a cold expression. His face was masked by a scarf wrapped around the nose and chin she duly noted, but those eyes… they stared at her in a brilliant and bright red. Her thought process paused for a moment as she took in those red eyes, not entirely sure she was correct on their color in disbelief. She gulped when she found her voice again, and asked hoarsely from exhaustion, "…Trail?"

The pony remained as he regarded her and her question, before speaking in a low unfamiliar voice that was harsh and un-empathetic, "No."

Twilight's heart began to pump faster again, the knowledge that he was indeed a strange pony with even stranger powers setting in her mind. "Let me go!" she yelled, struggling once again against the shadows. Despite the black tendrils holding her she thrashed around on the ground with all her might, rubbing dirt and grass into her coat in her wild movements.

"Freeze," the stallion said.

Twilight's entire body froze upon hearing the words, the will or ability to move any of her limbs suddenly gone, even her mouth. _What in the name of Harmony is happening to me!? Why can't I move?_ Twilight's thoughts began to race around her head, the momentary anxiety from before settling back inside her chest in force at the inability to move an inch. Her eyes still had their movement and they darted around in sheer panic, her mind trying to will some part of her to move again. _How is he doing this? What is going on!?_

Burrowing deep inside her, she screamed internally for something to happen, something to save her; to keep fighting with all she had. That deep internal strength she called upon many times during the dangerous battles and adventures she had faced so many times before. She called on the strength she had felt whenever she summoned the Element of Magic within her.

In response her front hooves began to twitch slightly with movement, and her horn beginning dimly light up. Had she been watching the pony in front of her during her internal focus, she would have seen his eyes widen in surprise.

 _She can't be…_ he thought. Narrowing his eyes he quickly moved towards her. _I need to end this before she breaks loose._ Reaching his hoof up he unwrapped the scarf covering his face, revealing a wide mouth with two glistening fangs that grew longer as he moved to her. Not giving the mare a moment's chance more, he dipped her head to the side with a hoof, and sunk his teeth deep into her neck.

 _ ***Bump***_

Twilight's eyes shot open from the sudden sharp pain, and her focus on the building magic faltered. Her body shuddered as the shock of the pain began to set in, and her limbs began to feel cold. Small gasps escaped her lips as she tried to form a word, a scream, any sound at all in response to the pain in her neck, still unable to understand exactly what was happening. She wasn't even sure if she was still breathing.

 ** _*Bump*_**

The only the things Twilight seemed capable of focusing on, was the sensation of the the warmth from her body being drawn away, the way her body refused to respond, the growing sound of her heart beating, and the dim awareness of the strange pony's body close by. She didn't know when it had happened, but her head was now cradled between his arms and nestled above his shoulder. She didn't know if she had leaned into him, or if he had pulled her to him. Everything was just becoming so hard to focus on.

 ** _*Bump*_**

Her eyes lazily began to drift upwards as a bright light flooded the woods. Above them, the moon had suddenly broken clear of the heavy cloud cover. It was a full moon tonight, its white face looking down upon like a silent spectator. It being the only of light in the woods around them caused her to briefly wonder when her magic had ceased flowing in her horn.

 _ ***Bump***_

She remained wide eye as stared up to the moon, unable to break her gaze from it. Her brows arched even higher on her forehead as she felt the odd pain in her neck grow as whatever was violating her deepened. Reflexively her quivering mouth opened further to produce a soundless scream. But she could not focus on what was happening much longer. And soon, her vision slowly became fuzzy at the edges, and her heartbeat became louder as its noise was the only thing she could still hear.

 _*Bump*_

And slowly… its sound too, faded away along with her unconsciousness.

 _...*Bump*…_

 _...*Bu-*…._


	8. Chapter 8

_So I set out into the night by his side,_  
 _Learning our secrets the first obstacle,_  
 _How little did I know however,_  
 _That I would die more times than I thought possible._

"Again."

Shade Flare breathed heavily where he kneeled, his head lowered from his efforts over the hours he had been spending. Mental exhaustion had already taken a hold of him some time ago, making the already difficult concentration even more tiresome. His body was not too affected, but sweat had already begun to appear on him, feeling cool on coat in the night air. His mind's focus on the task was slipping more and more easily the longer he had kept at it.

"I… need a moment…" Shade Flare panted.

"We will break when I say so." Trail replied unempathetic. He towered over Shade Flare, staring down at him with his crimson eyes. "Again," he said.

Shade Flare cracked open an eye at the stallion, his pupil dilating for a moment as he refocused his vision; picking out Trail from the forest around them. He matched the vampony's gaze with an eye that was equally red to his.

The two of them held each others glare for a moment, before Shade Flare gave in and closed his eye; lifting his head once more to repeat his efforts he had been spending all night on. After a minute of gathering his thoughts in concentration, he tried again.

The darkness around them shifted, as if a lumbering beast's heavy footsteps were able to shake the shadows themselves. Gritting his teeth, Shade Flare willed the shadows to move at his command, trying to make them obey with a sense and ability that seemed foreign and familiar at the same time. It was like as if he had been given his wings for the first time, they may have flapped senselessly in the air while he soared, but the sensation of the wind beneath them, the feeling of the air flowing across his coat, it was something that he wondered how he had never noticed or lived without. Those were the types of feelings he had while urging the shadows to come to life, coaxing them to form and construct shapes from his mind. Something he had never had been able to do, but now felt that it should have been there all along.

Slowly the shadows around them began to take shape into long tendrils, their lengths appearing as they coalesced in midair. Shade Flare opened an eye to follow his efforts, daring to give a small smile as a one was completed before him. The moment was short lived as a hoof came smashing through the shadow, dispersing it back into the night air. "Hey!" Shade Flare shouted in frustration, the rest of the tendrils vanishing on his lost focus.

"Again," Trail simply repeated.

Shade Flare gritted his teeth, wanting to snap angrily at the stallion. His mind was not yet dull enough to know not to argue deeply with Trail, but the hours of relentless work was wearing him and his sound judgment down. But even so, he was growing tired of him and relentless pushing.

"How am I supposed to make them, something that took almost half the night to do, if you keep smashing them?" Despite his efforts to remain as respectful as possible, his voice held an edge of anger.

"How can you expect to hold a pony with these if I can break them so easily?" Trail said in the same tone he had spoken with throughout the entire session; flat, even, and without care.

"Maybe if you let me just make the damn things before I focus on strengthening them, I would actually get somewhere." Shade Flare hissed.

"You wouldn't get that chance if this was a real situation." Trail paused for a moment before repeating, "Again."

Shade Flare stared coldly at him, a growing feeling of resentment building within him. "At least give me another drink… I'm thirsty."

"No."

Shade Flare's eyes opened wide as his wings flared out. "NO!? I've been spending the whole night out here busting my flank on this, something you said would drain my blood, and you won't even give me some to replenish my strength!?"

Trail's brows furrowed as he regarded Shade Flare in front of him, shifting his hooves slightly apart. "Do you know who you are speaking to?"

"Yes I do! And right now I don't give a damn!" Shade Flare almost shouted. "Give me a drink!"

Trail grunted at the request before raising his hoof in the air. Momentarily darkness swirled around his hoof, leaving a small vial of red liquid resting on top as it dispersed. Shade Flare's eyes widen even further and even sprouted a small smile at the sight of it. Without thinking he moved towards the vial, a small burning sensation beginning to flare in his throat.

His eyes were so focused on the blood that he never saw the other hoof coming, landing a hard blow onto his cheek. Shade Flare was lifted off the ground and thrown back some yards away, skidding across the dirt. In a flash he was on his hooves and facing Trail in a defensive stance, his eyes blazing red as they looked at him in a wild glare. He held a mixture of questioning and anger on his face from the blow. Trail on the other hoof remained rooted and composed, un-revealing to his thoughts as he calmly stared in return.

"Give… me… that... vial!" Shade Flare growled.

"You're not getting a single drop of this. Not until you do it right," Trail simply replied.

Shade Flare's coat felt like it was standing straight as his body began to visibly shake from the growing frustration inside him. His mind held no reason or cooling effect to the fire that built within his chest, anger filling him towards Trail for daring to deny him something he wanted, no… _needed_. That vial was going to be his and be dammed to Tartarus anything that would be in his way. Reacting on the instinct that was pouring through him, he gave a growl and lunged towards Trail.

Trail nimbly jumped to the side, the vial remaining perched in his raised hoof. Shade Flare spun around after landing and began to chase him after him, pushing him through the woods. Trail remained facing towards Shade Flare as he ducked and dodged his wild swings and kicks.

"GIVE IT TO ME!" Shade Flare yelled, revealing two large fangs now very noticeable in his mouth. With a spread of his wings, he kicked lunge at him with a murderous intent.

Trail replied with another swift hoof, a blow that even looking out for Shade Flare was unable to react towards. Hitting his chin, Trail knocked him back once again, but Shade Flare was relentless. The moment he had hit the ground he was already on his hooves and pursuing him once more, his attacks becoming more furious.

In the darkness of the forest the two danced about like wraiths, only appearing in fleeting blurs in the shadows if a normal pony had been watching the spectacle. Shade Flare flashed his fangs and swiped with his hooves, missing Trail by inches most of the time. As close as he was, the constant distance Trail maintained infuriated Shade Flare, causing him to strike with renewed effort on each failed attempt to land a hit. A hoof kick here, a wing slap there, even an attempted head butt or two all missed his target. Trail held the vial on his still raised hoof, taunting him with, showing how close yet so far he was away from soothing blood his body was demanding.

But as Shade Flare continued to pursue, he began to close the distance of his strikes. Trail's swifter movements were starting to become more recognizable as they darted around. To Shade Flare's mind, the once quick paced fight started to become slower and slower to him, his concentration becoming more focused and his attention singular. He was beginning to read Trail's steps and understand them, noticing tensions in his muscles before followed by the movement. At times, it even felt like the entire fight came to a time still for a fleeting moment during their spar. It almost surprised Shade Flare that he was able to dodge the next blow Trail delivered. He had been able to follow it with his eyes and adjust accordingly without a thought, reacting as one would when an object in the distance was making its way to you quickly but with plenty of time to avoid; a feat that he mind have paid mind to where it not for the burning sensation in his throat and the raging tenacity to claim the vial of blood.

Trail had to step up his pace to stay ahead of Shade Flare who was quickly catching up with his movements. His ferocity in his attacks increased as he struck wildly, yet each one with deadly precision. Regardless of how angry or furious Shade Flare had become, his movements never became sloppy or haphazard. Instead, his skill and aim only became better and more dangerous. A lesser pony would have been killed long ago from Shade Flare's assaults. Even a member of the Royal Guard would have gawked at the strength and speed he was fighting with. But it was a behavior that Trail was very accustomed to, and knew how to handle.

Before Shade Flare could make a grab for him again, Trail thrust the vial out to him. Shade Flare's focused eyes widen at the sight of it moving towards him, locking onto it and its contents immediately. It was so reactionary that he could not control himself, nor steady his concentration to defending himself when Trail once again struck a blow to him. This time however, had been much harder than his previous hits.

Shade Flare was knocked back into a tree with a force that would have broken a normal pony's back. But he had given up being a normal pony a short time ago, and even being an average batpony as well. Though Trail had still chosen to call him a batpony, he was more durable than the rest of his kin now. It was because he had given up his old life, that he was able to once again able to stand up onto his hooves, albeit more slowly than he had before. He may not be a normal batpony anymore, but the blow still left him heavily bruised.

Snapping his head up he bared his fangs and glared at Trail with blazing red eyes, they held an intensity that would have frozen a pony on the spot. "YOU WILL GIVE IT TO ME!" The shadows around them visually shook at the sound of his voice, vibrating from their positions as if something disturbed them. Trail eye's shift about the darkness around him, watching the darker spots between the nooks and crannies within the trees and bushes for the incoming assault he was counting on.

With a roar from Shade Flare tendrils of shadow's burst all around Trail, latching onto him with unyielding force. They coiled about his body and tightened their grip. So many had appeared, that one could barely distinguish the tendrils from the stallions black coat. Even his silver mane was almost completely hidden beneath them. They varied in size and strength, one was even as large as a pony's leg. Trail tugged at the tendrils as they wrapped around him, testing their strength and durability. When they did not give to his pulls he finally let slip a suppressed grin.

Shade Flare however didn't notice the vampony's bemused attitude, his eyes instead locked onto the vial one shadow had delicately secured from the wrapped hoof. It stretched out away from Trail and towards Shade Flare, holding it right side up for him to see. Shade Flare let out a weak laugh as it grew closer, revealing in the fact that he at last finally caught it. At last he would be able to soothe his thirst that burned in his throat; to douse the fire that urged to be drowned with the only thing that would sate it.

The tendril brought the vial right before Shade Flare's eyes as he stared into the red liquid sloshing around, its color and movements beckoning him to drink it. He was ready to rip off the cork and down its contents in one gulp before Trail's voice cut through.

"Congratulations, you did it."

"Huh?" Shade Flare said as he turned towards him. He was confused as to why he said that. The was the only thing that mattered was that he got his drink. Nothing else was important or demanded his attention. So why would he congratulate him? He was an enemy that was holding blood away from him. An opponent that needed to be beaten. But it was when he reflected that line of reasoning that he noticed what else he had done. Before him Trail was wrapped in shadows that he had summoned, and they weren't being broken. In fact, they were the most solid things he had created all night, one particular one around Trail's waist was also the biggest he had created. Without realizing, he had done what he had been attempting to do all night. The notion sobered him out of his blood craze, and the shadows fell away.

Shade Flare stumbled back a few steps as he regained control over his mind and emotions, the vial creating a soft thud as it landed on the ground. "I… I…" he struggled to say as everything came back to him in a rush. "I'm so sorry… I didn't mean to attack you. I was just… so…"

"Thirsty?"

Shade Flare took on a petrified face, his fanged mouth hanging in horror with the fact he had _attacked_ Trail, just to get a drink. A few times, he had even felt the urge to kill him to get the blood. A notion that he was confused for ever having. "I'm so sorry… I don't know what came over me. Please… forgive me," Shade Flare began to softly say. He was still coming to grips with his actions and how punishable it was that he had just tried to.

"Why should I forgive you?"

Shade Flare looked up with shock and fear, resentment at his unexplained loss of control that led him into the situation. But before he could utter another apology and beg for forgiveness, Trail raised a hoof to indicate he wasn't finished.

"I already told you, congratulations. You did it."

Shade Flare's brows twisted in confusion. "You mean… almost kill you?"

Trail laughed at the absurdity of the statement. "Kill me? You would have to do a lot more than that. No, I'm talking about your shadow manipulation. You managed to create them, and decently sturdy as well."

Shade Flare had almost forgotten the fact that he did manage to create the tendrils, so caught up was he in the blood craze and feelings of regret that followed. "I… did, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did."

"But how? Why now? And why did… I lose control like that? It just came over me and I… I didn't even realize what I was doing," Shade Flare exclaimed in awe and fear.

"To put it simply, your survival instincts kicked in." When Shade Flare brought another questioning look Trail continued. "I already told you, your vampiric powers are dependent on blood. You can avoid using them and be set for a while after feeding. But using them drains them. The more you use, the sooner you need to feed again. What you experienced was the " _der Letzte Drang_ ", the _Last Urge_. Originally defined in Germane, it is the final strength of a vampony before the remaining blood stored in your body is used."

Shade Flare plopped onto the ground in a sitting position as he listened to Trail, his mind still reeling somewhat over the ordeal.

"As you experienced, a sudden burst of power fills the vampony when facing extreme thirsts. Just even the sight of blood can cause even the most experienced vamponies lose control depending on how thirsty they are. With that increased strength, comes more powerful abilities as well. It was regarded back in the day actually, that there was nothing more dangerous than a cornered vampire. When a foe has spent your strength and your abilities, attempting to weaken you and tire you out with a long fight, they suddenly find themselves facing an opponent that is often more ferocious than they bargained for. A tip for you should you ever need it, end a fight with a vampony as quickly as you can."

Trail walked towards the still sitting Shade Flare, whose gaze locked onto the vial on the ground, looking at it as if he was unsure to grab it or throw it away from him. Trail paused just before the vial, given him a few a moments to process the experience. "This is something you needed to experience in a controlled situation. As you can imagine, the damage or consequences you could cause in that state is not something we can afford right now."

Shade Flare pulled his gaze away and looked to Trail in realization. "That's why you made me spent the whole night trying to use my powers?"

"Yes."

"You... You needed me spent... So you could control it when I experienced it," Shade Flare reasoned aloud.

"No. I did it so you could learn control it."

"But, you said-"

"Yes, I did say even experienced vamponies can lose themselves to it. But a warrior does not rise and overcome the occasion when the moment calls for it, they only sink to the level of their training. You must learn to suppress it as much as possible. Reverting fully into it, is only used as a very last resort when all else fails. Because if you spend too much time going wild like that, you will die."

Shade Flare closed his mouth at that last bit of information.

"But don't despair over your potential near death experience, it was also an opportunity to draw out your powers. As you saw, you were able to create them." Shade Flare looked about the forest, watching the shadows with awe and curiosity with his new-found power. "But," Trail continued, "don't rely on it too much. It won't be until sometime you practice that you will reach that level normally. For now, you still have much to work on. Which brings me to my other point to all of this. You need to be ready and able to use your shadows in five nights."

"Why five nights?" Shade Flare asked turning his attention to Trail.

"Because, you are going to capture Twilight Sparkle. And turn her into a thrall."

"ME!?"

"Yes, you."

"But, why? Shouldn't you be the one?"

"Do not worry, I will be the one to turn her into a full vampony when the time is right. For now, all I need you to do is turn her into a thrall."

"S-sir, with all due respect," Shade Flare began, finally remembering his courtesies. "I am still too inexperienced for something like this! I've only been a vampony for a short time! She's a Princess! She's much stronger than me! And what if I revert back to normal before then?" Shade Flare looked down towards his hooves. "I don't think I have another transformation in me…"

Trail looked at Shade Flare, then let out a sigh and moved towards him, plopping himself down beside him. "I know this has been difficult for you. I can only imagine what it is like passing through the gates of death more than once." Shade Flare visibly shook. "But it will last long enough. And do not worry so much about Twilight Sparkle. You forget the element of surprise is greater than you think. She may be a Princess, but she is not ready for battle or tasted its experiences. And even if you do not have it either, it runs in your blood. You will know what to do."

"But she is the Element of Magic, how will I defeat her with the spells she's able to cast?"

"That is where I come in. I've planted a few fail-safe commands into Twilight Sparkle during our sessions. No doubt her magic would destroy any construct of shadow you could create, but the triggers I will give you will make sure it never comes to that."

Shade Flare looked down at his hooves, still unsure of his newly informed role.

Trail chuckled softly to himself. "Do not fret, I am confident in your ability to handle this. I would be there beside you in the event anything goes wrong, but unfortunately, I have other pressing matters I must attend to. Time is of the essence, and I cannot waste anymore. We will turn Twilight Sparkle into a thrall, and it will be in five days."

"But…" Shade Flare said trying to find the right words. "Why me?" Lifting his head, he looked into Trail's' eyes for an answer.

In returned, he was met with a gentle gaze as the previously cold and meticulously red eyes now held a softness to them. "Because, " Trail began. "There is nothing more crucial to a leader, than competent followers. As I keep saying, Shade Flare, you are of my blood, a descendant of ancestors I lived beside a very long time ago. To me, you and every batpony are _my_ family. And family helps one another to become strong."

Trail gave him a reassuring smile. "You can do this, I believe it to be within your ability. You have proven to be helpful ever since I approached you, loyal and willing to everything I have requested of you, and courageous and brave enough to die the multiple times I have asked you too. In return, I will make you strong, strong enough that I can depend on you, strong enough so that others can depend on you. And for that, I must put you out into the world. You must experience things and learn from them. You must become capable not only for yourself or I, but for the rest of our kin."

Shade Flare stiffened at his last remark. _That's right, this is bigger than myself. Everypony is whether they know it or not is counting on us pulling this off. We need Princess Twilight Sparkle. If he can trust and believe in me to do this, then I can't fail him, or everypony else._

"O-okay," Shade Flare replied. Gritting his teeth, he grunted as he stood onto his hooves once again. Even though his body was starting to become fatigue, and his mind felt more dull than staying awake for two days straight — _a side effect of coming down from the Last Urge possibly_ , he thought briefly— a renewed sense of determination was rekindled within him. "Again," he said.

Trail gave a nod accompanied by a proud grin. _You have lots of potential Shade Flare,_ he thought. _You will be invaluable to your brothers and sisters in the coming nights._ Trail took a few steps forward drawing Shade Flare's attention. "Before we continue…" He reached down for the vial and tossed it towards Shade Flare, causing his tuft ears to flick in surprise. "Have a drink. You've earned it."

* * *

 _Six days later…_

Sunlight beamed through the leafy forest, breaking apart cold mist that still clung to the ground. The shrill sound of birds chirping randomly echoed throughout the woods, welcoming another morning to the land. Below the trees, the soft grass and moss held specks of dew from the night prior, creating a fresh scent throughout the earthy smelling undergrowth. Everything was as normal as the forest could be. Save for one purple form lying within a spot of grass and dirt that looked to have been scuffed.

Twilight laid unconscious on the ground, unmoving even to the slight cold that chilled the air. She laid in her position throughout the early morning for hours until the warm sunbeams eventually drifted into an angle that crossed over her body. The warming touch of the sun eased into her coat and muscles, bringing her out of the deep sleep she had been in.

— _"You will break into my home on the fifth night from today. Damage up the place, but be careful with some of the furniture, I intend to reclaim them someday. Remember to leave out what she needs to find. Then, wait near the back door until she enters. Bait her into the woods, get her as deep as possible. Whatever you do, don't let her grab you with her magic. You can avoid it by staying out of sight. Being what you are in addition with your new enhanced traits, guiding her through the dark and staying ahead should be an easy feat."_ —

A soft mumbled escaped Twilight's lips as consciousness returned to her slowly. The first thing she was aware of was how sore her muscles were, and the smell of the forest floor.

 _—"After you lead her deep through the forest, you will restrain her. I'll provide you her trigger words when she attempts her escape. Then you will bite her, and do as I showed you."_ —

"Nghh…" Twilight mumbled again as she stretched out a hoof weakly in front of her, feeling the dirt as her mind struggled to figure out what was going on and where she was.

 _—"I understand, sir. But may I ask a question?"—_

Her ears flickered at the noise of the forest around her as the rest of her senses began to kick in. Even though her eyes were not open yet, faint memories of where she had gone last night and where she was most likely now trickled in.

 _—"Why wait to turn her into a full vampony? Why keep her as only a thrall for now?—_

She was beginning to feel an uncomfortable sensation. She couldn't place a hoof on exactly what it was, for she had never felt something like it before. It was as if her body was becoming too hot, sending tingles across her skin in an agitating manner. She was unsure what was causing it, only that it had appeared when the sun had touched her coat.

 _—"You know why we need her, and why she would not assist us on her own accord. I must convince her in the only way that will make her help us. But to do that… she needs to be willing. And its much more difficult to affect the soul of something that has died once, than something that is halfway there. You of all ponies should be aware of that."—_

With a groan Twilight eyelids fluttered open, bringing in a hazy view of the forest around her. It took a few moments, but her eyes eventually adjusted and refocused, allowing her to see the greenery around her. She numbly stared out at the approaching day with her purple eyes as she woke up; eyes that held a tinge of red on the edges of her irises.


	9. Chapter 9

Twilight groaned as she stirred, and weakly moved her limbs in a daze. Her body felt numb except for the sensation of pricking needles, almost as if she had fallen asleep on a leg for too long but throughout her entire body.

As the feeling returned to her limbs, she hazily looked about the forest clearing she laid in, before laying her head back down and shutting her eyes in pain from the headache that assaulted her.

"Ow…" she breathed quietly.

Holding her eyes firmly shut, she struggled to get her hooves beneath her to stand herself up, but found she was at the moment only able to appropriately control her front legs. While sucking in tiny breaths, she braced her forelegs into the ground, and propped herself. She held still for sometime as the soreness in her legs, and the pain in her head, began to dull, and only then did she open her eyes again.

Blinking wearily, she looked about the forest once more.

 _W...What's going on? Where… Where am I?_

With half open eyes, she stared dumbfounded at the greenery around her, before the memories of last night finally caught up with her mind, and made her eyes snap fully opened.

With a startled gasp, she instinctively leapt to a standing position, bracing herself for the next attack. But she was only able to hold it for a few moments before her back legs gave out, and she sat herself down. She shut her eyes again as the headache flared once more.

Feeling the remnants of sleep fade from her mind, Twilight remained as she was, letting the strength come back to her body as she attempted to recall everything that had happened.

 _You're alright Twilight, they're not here. At least, I don't think they are._

Feeling some of the pain dwindling, she opened her eyes and looked about again, albeit much more slowly than she did before. There was nothing around save the trees, and the only sounds she could hear were the morning bird songs beginning to settle, and the faint rustle of leaves now and then.

 _It's morning already... Which means whatever they wanted to steal from the house is probably gone by now._ She bit her lip at the thought of the fleeing pony. _I can't believe he escaped! If I get my hooves on him again…_

Her frustration of the incident quickly cooled as she replayed the events again.

 _No… that's not the real issue. What happened last night? What was that strange magic he had used?_

Twilight sat down to give her legs some respite, feeling a sense of deja-vu of how her limbs refused to move in a similar fashion when he had caught her. As her headache began to fade further, more memories jumped in and filled in the events, bringing about each moment with chilling clarity.

She could remember everything now. From the strange shadows that had become corporeal, to her magic strangely going out. Nothing about last night made sense in her mind, or fell in line with how magic worked as she knew. And surprisingly, that bothered her more than she thought it would.

She sat there for some time, working out hypotheses as to how such things happened, during of which her body recovered more quickly than she realized. It had caught her by surprise when she realized her limbs were not protesting any more.

To make sure it wasn't just her imagination, she tentatively stood back up, readying herself for a flash of pain she felt would surely come. But nothing of the sort happened. She felt normal, without a hint of soreness to indicate she had even experienced it in the first place.

"Huh…" she commented.

Now curious about the rest of her, she turned her eyes upward and focused on her horn. Like always, she felt her magic pooling within it and flowing freely, much to her relief.

"Well, guess I can check that off the list."

Still tentative that the pain would come back in any second, she stepped forward a hoof step, then another, trotted in place, and even jump up. Her body felt fine, and she was confident any spells she would cast would also have similar results.

"Hmmm."

As she reflected over the strangeness of it all, a speck of dirt falling caught her attention. She blinked in confusion before she realized that it must have been some of the remnants of the dirt from last night.

"That jerk!"

She carefully began wiping the rest of it off her horn. _How dare he shove my horn into the ground like that! Shadow magic or not, when I get my hooves on him!_ When she cleared off as much as she could, she looked down at her legs and saw grass stains covering them. The sudden awareness of how dirty she was too the point that she didn't even bother to check how bad it was on the rest of her body.

Grinding her teeth, her eyebrow twitched meticulously as she called on her magic again. _I need to get back so I can start figuring out what the hay had happened. Nopony gets away with stealing under my watch, assaulting me in the middle of the night, and shoving MY horn into the ground!_

With a flared nostril, she casted her spell, blinked out of the forest, and arrived in front of a startled Spike.

"Twilight! What happened to you?" he exclaimed immediately.

A wave of dizziness washed over Twilight, but past in moments. "I… uh… I'm okay… still recollecting myself." Twilight looked about the library as the sensation faded, letting relief fill her at being somewhere familiar. "I'm okay, I just need a bath as I… um, sure you can tell," she said while gesturing towards herself. "I'm going upstairs to fix up. Afterwards, you and I are going to Trail's. His house got broken into last night and I want to account for everything missing."

"Seriously? What in Equestria happened last night? And why are you so… messy?" he said carefully.

"I'll tell you on the way," she sighed. "And can you get me some breakfast please while I wash up? I'm starving."

"Uh, yeah, sure thing," Spike replied hesitantly, fumbling with his hands as he contemplated staying by her side between doing as she asked. But she left him little time to choose, and was quickly up the stairs and into the bedroom. Biting his teeth with worry, Spike rushed into the kitchen and began making breakfast.

As the sound of pots and pans falling echoed dimly to the second floor, Twilight drowned out the noise by turning the faucet for the bathtub on full. A steady stream of hot water shot forth and quickly began to steam up the room, causing Twilight to breath in deeply at its relieving sensation. While waiting for it to fill before switching to cold water to even the temperature out, Twilight turned towards the mirror. She stared blankly at her reflection before muttering darkly, "Rarity, would have a heart attack."

Messy, as Spike described, was an understatement. She had leaves and twigs in her mane, dirt and grass stains completely covering her coat and legs, her feathers were completely ruffled and displaced, and her eyes were red from still waking up.

"Wow, I am a _mess_."

As she waited for the water to fill, she began the tedious process of removing all the foliage from her mane and tail, and them aside into a neat pile on the floor nearby. She even had somehow ran into a bush with tiny ball shaped green stickers that were resilient on letting go of her.

Just before the tub was full, she quickly switched to cold water, and turned it off. The room was still misty from the heat, but it was doing wonders for Twilight as she breathed the warm air into her lungs. Tipping a hoof timidly into the water, she sunk it deep enough for it to reach passed her coat. She sucked in a breath of air as the heated water made contact, then relaxed as the sharp pain began to fade away. _Oh Celestia does that feel good._

Carefully, she eased her body into the tub with hind legs first, dipping them slowly while supporting herself on the edges with her forehooves, wincing now and then at the sensation of the water touching the little cuts across her body beneath her coat. But as painful as it was, the feeling of the warm liquid enveloping her was worth it, and its warmth worked its magic. As she slid the last bit of the way, a happy sigh escaped her lips, and she looked up to the ceiling with a smile. _This is what I needed,_ she thought, and her body couldn't agree more with her.

* * *

After washing away all the nature that had clung to her, Twilight stepped out of the tub and began drying herself off; the muddy water slowly sinking into the drain as the tub drained. She felt ten times refreshed and ready, the only thing left to pick her up and prepare her for figuring out everything being the anticipated breakfast Spike had been preparing for her.

Enjoying the brief reprieve of relaxation before getting down to business, Twilight hung the towel on the rack and began to preen the feathers, before sighing at the notion she would have to ask for help for some of the more difficult ones.

"Fluttershy had just helped me settle these in recently too," she said in disappointment. As she considered asking for her or Rainbow Dash's help later in the day after marking all the stolen goods, she blinked her eyes, and looked at her feathers. "Actually, I bet I can do it now on my own. I don't need to bother them with this."

After spending some extra time getting her feathers in place—of which she hoped meant Spike was preparing more food—she magically grabbed her brush, and began stroking her tail and mane back into their proper positions, all while staring at a much more familiar and clean looking pony.

As she was working on her bangs, she stopped in mid stride at the noticed of a detail that still remained from her messy state from before.

Setting the brush aside, she leaned closer to the mirror and opened her eyes as wide as she could. She had figured it was just the after effects of being tired, or a tiny blood vessel that had popped during the fight. But neither of those explanations, or any others that she could come up with, explained the red coloration on the edge of her purple irises. Had she not been staring idly into the mirror while brushing, she may have not even noticed it.

"Huh… that's weird."

Propping herself onto the sink, she spent some time looking at it from every angle and length, while running over in her mind on possible spells that might be able to revert it if it did not go away. _It might be a side effect from the magic last night. I better take a look at some dispelling formulas just incase. I wonder if I can make one into the form of eye droplets._

"Twilight! Your breakfast is ready!"

 _Perfect. I am absolutely starving._

Giving the red tinge once last scrupulous glare, she lowered herself from the sink, and head out. "Coming!"

* * *

"So he was just gone when you woke up?" Spike asked as he kept up with Twilight's quickened pace.

"That's pretty much it," Twilight grunted.

Spike looked up at her worry for the umptenth time. He opened his mouth to say something, but held back at the expression of her face. Her brow was furrowed, her chin tight from clenched teeth, and her eyes were unwavering as they stared forward. _I haven't seen Twilight worked up like this before. The last time she even acted remotely like this was when Nightmare Moon came back._

The tight feeling he had in his gut made him want to say or do something, anything, that might helped her feel better. But he could not. There was nothing to say. Twilight had been attacked, and he had not been there to help her.

 _Which means there's only thing I can do then._ Gripping his claws tightly, he turned his eyes forward as well, and blew out a puff of smoke from his nose. _I got to be there for Twilight here on out. I am not letting something like this happening_ ever _again._

To deepen his resolve, he imagined himself catching the would be robber from last night, himself clad in armor, and breathing terrible fire to burn their tail off.

"Any idea why he broke into Trail's home?" Spike said with a deep voice in attempt to show his resolve.

"No idea," Twilight simply replied. Her dead set expression however, soften as she imagined the state of the house. "I feel so bad that I let him get away. I hope Trail isn't too mad that he managed to get away with his stuff."

"Don't worry, I don't think he'll sweat it too much," Spike said. "

"I wonder what he was looking for in Trail's home," Spike said.

"I hope so…" Twilight replied. "I just hate the fact that something I was in charge of got ransacked…"

The rest of the quick walk was done in silence, and the path to the house seemed longer than usual despite it taking only a few short minutes.

When they did arrive, they wasted no time in walking up the front path and opening the door, only to pause as soon as they saw inside. They simply stood in the entrance way, nearly all their determination having been swept away at the sight of the mess littered about; a mess that they would have to clean up.

"Wow…" Spike remarked.

It was just as bad as Twilight remembered. Everything was toppled over and on the floor, or pulled from their position if not completely thrown on its side. The sight of it all made Twilight's heart sink in dread. The last time she had been standing in the doorway like this but looking outside instead of in, it was to see Trail off; the same worry in her chest nagging at her. _Is this what you warned me about being careful?_ The memory of Trail flashing her a weak smile and telling her everything would be alright flashed across her mind. _Trail… what is going on? Just what are you apart of?_

"Well," she breathed reluctantly. "We better get started cleaning up and cataloguing what's missing so we can report what was stolen to the local guard."

"I'll be right back," Spike said before quickly trotting back down the front path.

"Spike! Where are you going?"

"To get a bigger broom and some snacks! It looks like we're going to be here all day!"

Twilight opened her mouth to call him back, but stopped, then shook her head with a smile on her lips. She knew better than to stop him when he was so set on things, and she hadn't seen him so worked up in sometime.

Spike on the other claw, had seen her smile, and ran even quicker back to the library. _If there's one thing I can help out on, then I'm gona do it the best I can!_

* * *

The two of them spent all morning picking up various items, tidying up broken pieces of ceramics and glass, turning furniture right side up, and ensuring everything was in their proper place, all while going over what happened been taken.

To their bewilderment however, nothing appeared to be missing. Everything was either pulled from their original spots or broken. As they moved about the bottom floor, a suspicion that the situation had nothing to do with an ordinary robber grew more and more. To her, it was as if they were looking for something, something that was very important.

Each piece they found caused her heart to sink further of the damage that was caused under her watch, and the determination to figure out exactly what it was they wanted. By the time they finished the first floor, everything had been swept into piles and repositioned, it was past noon, leaving only the second floor. The fact that not a single piece was missing from the bottom floor only confirmed further her suspicion.

As they explored the second floor, they found it in a similar disarray; everything shattered or moved from their spots. Even the beds were flipped over and torn apart. If anything had been within it, Twilight would never know. She began to worry that whatever the robber had been looking for may have already been found.

 _But if they found what they were looking for, then why is the entirety of the house destroyed? Unless two things happened. They either A, found it at the end. Or B, never did…_

Humming to herself in thought, she made her way out of the bedroom and to the pair of doors she had been dreading to open since she first stepped into the house. With a gulp at what she may find on the otherside, Twilight slowly pushed open the door to the study room.

When she did, she wished she hadn't.

"How could anypony do this!?" she exclaimed.

Across the entire floor, was every single book from the shelves; the majority of them lying open face down, causing small folds in the papers or bends in the spines. The sight of such books—and some priceless ones in her opinion—filled her with a sense panic that only the injust treatment to literature could cause.

"Oh no no no no!" repeated over and over as she immediately began to levitate them back into their places while inspecting the damage done to them. "Some of these books are incredibly rare and first edition to! I can't believe he left them like this!" When she lifted one book and found its pages were literally ripped from the spine, she nearly fainted.

"Besides the damaged ones, doesn't seem any different than when you leave books lying around," Spike casually commented, ducking beneath a few novels that were being floated back to the shelves. He was quickly silenced by an angry glare from Twilight, then bit back the urge to sigh and began to help picking them back up. After collecting a few, he headed over to the nearest shelf before they were suddenly pulled out of his claws with magic.

"Those go over here," Twilight stated, her head turning every which way to read the various titles of the books floating around before putting them neatly back into their spots.

 _Of course she's memorized where they all go by now._

Wanted to stay out of the way of her frantic work, Spike set about fixing the other items in the room. While the globe he was fond of was a little heavier to put back than he'd care to admit, he was thankful everything else was within his power to move.

As he walked towards one of the corners of the room to re-stand a knocked over lamp, his attention was caught by an unusual coloration of the floor. Leaving the lamp up straight, he headed towards what was apparent as he became closer was a piece of a floorboard missing, looking to have been torn or smashed in.

Cautiously, he moved over it and stared into the hole that was about two pony hooves wide. In the dimness, he could make out the boards for the ceiling below, as well as a visible rectangular spot that wasn't covered in dust. If he had to have guessed, he would have figured a book had been lying there before the floorboards were torn.

Curiosity filling him, he attempted to stick his head into the hole and looked around, an let out a toothy grin when his eye caught the edges of what appeared to be another book that was covered in dust.

"Twilight Come here! I found something!"

Twilight paused for a moment, then let out a whine at Spike's head disappearing into the floor. "Oh no, did he deal structural damage to the house too?"

"No! I mean, yes! I mean...I found a book!" he voice shouted from beneath the floorboards. "I think there were two of them cause it looks like one's missing!"

"A book?"

Intrigued, Twilight gently set down the remaining books that had yet to be shelved, and trotted over to him.

Spike lifted his head out and grinned up at her. "Yeah, it's a book alright. I think the robber was looking for these because the first one is missing. But it's a little too far for me to reach, so I think it was for him too and he had missed it! Heck, if I hadn't stuck my head in, I wouldn't have found it," he said excitedly, a thin layer of dust covering his facial scales.

Twilight craned her neck around the hole and peered inside. It took a bit of angling, but she was barely able to make out the edges of the book Spike was talking about "I think you're right! From what I can tell, nothing else is missing in this room either."

Immediately the dusty book was wrapped in a purple glow as Twilight carefully pulled it out from beneath the floorboards and into the air.

Spike eyed it with a building sense of adventure. "What do you suppose it says? Do you think it's directions for a really powerful spell?"

"I don't know," Twilight said as she expected its cover. From the looks of it, it was a plain green journal with no title on cover. Judging from the removed floorboards and the state of the rest of the house, her suspicions were now confirmed that this was exactly what the burglar was looking for, if the shape of another missing book directly below the hole wasn't proof enough.

Unable to hold her curiosity back any longer, she blew off the dust and opened to the first page. Squinting at the hoof written ink, she read aloud the first page.

"Corpus Nocte Morsu."

"What's that?" Spike asked.

"It's a collection of knowledge on something called a Night Fang… I think," Twilight answered as she flipped through its pages. "It's really old…"

"Night Fang?" Spike asked. "What the hay is that?"

"I don't know. We don't even know if who broke in was even looking for this one…" Twilight replied. _This is becoming more and more mysterious. First a robber who turns out to be something more than your run of the mill bugler. Then magic I have never seen before, and now this?_ While it had all been terrifying and frustrating at the same time, the situation was beginning to become more interesting each step of the way, as did her determination to figure things out. _But how is Trail involved with all of this? And why does he have this book?_

"Twilight," Spike said.

"Hmm?"

"Are you just going to stare at it or are you going to read?" he said.

"Oh! Right," Twilight said while snapping out of her thoughts. Coughing into her hoof, she closed the book and set it aside the nearest table. "As much as I want to now, we'll read it later today. First, we need to get the rest of the books back in their place. And after we've done a triple check to ensure nothing else is missing, we're going to report the robbery."

"Right…" Spike said, all tone of excitement having gone from his voice.

* * *

"Corpus Nocte Morsu," Twilight read aloud. She and Spike were back at the library, having just finished dinner and now were at the table together with the book before them. Putting the house back in order and verifying nothing else had been stolen —which only affirmed Twilight and Spike's hunch the books under the floor board was indeed the true goal of the break in— and submitting the report to the local authorities practically took all day.

A few of the more enthusiastic guard ponies were slightly upset that she had removed all if any evidence of the burglar by cleaning the house, but informed Twilight in the most respectful way possible due to her Princess status. They of course, were immediately on edge when Twilight informed them of the pony attacking her and stated that the report will be going to Canterlot for Princess Celestia and Princess Luna themselves to look over. As much as Twilight tried to assure them that it was unnecessary, she was unable to convince them otherwise due to certain protocols they had to follow. Being treated in such a way was still something Twilight was getting used to. It had been one thing being an Element Bearer. Though she received attention, nopony regarded her as something that couldn't handle her business on her own. Now that she was a Princess, everypony took extra care with her and acted like she can't or shouldn't do anything. And it was becoming more and more bothersome to her she found.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Open it," Spike enthusiastically demanded. Twilight simply nodded her head—suspense weighing on her as well as to what could be so important in the book—and flipped towards the first page. Clearing her voice, she began to read the introduction.

 _"Contained inside this book, is a compendium of knowledge regarding the dark creatures that roam the night. Their strengths and powers having easily allowing them to secure a position of power and fear throughout the land. Not all is known about them, but what we do know… is here in this book. From weaknesses to traits, all and more lie inside in this tome, a more complete reference and gathered collection of knowledge to face these deadly beasts than the majority of other books on the matter. For truly, the might of the Vampony is a fearsome thing, and more must be known about them to effectively defend ourselves."_

Twilight paused reading from that last sentence, her brow rising as she reread to make sure she saw it correctly.

"Vamponies?" Spike asked aloud. "It's a book about vamponies?"

"I guess so…" Twilight said, her hopes faltering somewhat. _Really? This entire book is dedicated to vamponies?_

While Twilight looked a little downtrodden from finding out what the book covered, Spike on the other hoof grew more excited as his eyes widened. "Vamponies are real…" he whispered softly.

Twilight gave him a scrupulous look. "Honestly, Spike, you can't expect this to be real. I mean vamponies? Really?"

"I don't know, Twilight, you said yourself that he used some kind of strange magic on you. Maybe it's vampony magic?"

"Just because it was magic I haven't seen before, doesn't mean a vampony did it," Twilight said with an eyeroll. "Come on, Spike, you expect vamponies to be real? You _know_ Trail had some pretty enthralling fictional books."

"Then why was this one under the floorboards?"

"Because it-" Twilight began to say before stopping. In truth, she had no idea why it was underneath the floor nor could she come up with an explanation. Turning back to the book she gave it a hard look while in thought. _Why was it under the floorboards? If it's just another one of his eccentric fictional novels, then it should have been on the shelf… shouldn't it?_

Spike flashed a knowing grin at stumping the mare. "See?"

"Just because I can't answer the question doesn't mean vamponies are real," she replied with a glare. "But… I suppose it doesn't hurt to read it. Maybe we can find something else out insides its passages."

"Alright! I'm going to get some Emerald Popcorn!" Spike said as he scooted off his chair and ran into the kitchen, eager to whip up a recipe from his favorite book of late for a nighttime snack.

"You are not allowed to touch its pages with buttery covered claws! Normal popcorn will do!" Twilight shouted after him.

The response was a loud, "Aww," of disappointment from the adjacent room.

"And please bring me a sandwich! Everything that has happened today has really worked up my appetite!"

Eyeing the kitchen entrance for a moment, she turned her focus back to reading the rest of the passage. " _Be wary should you find yourself in need of the information in this book. For even when shielded with the knowledge and defenses listed, they are not always enough to save you from the fangs of the Vampony…"  
_

* * *

 _"Garlic is one of the more useful tools in everyday protection. The stench of it for yet to be discerned reasons, have a discomforting effect on Vamponies that will ward off all that cross your path save the most hungry."_

Twilight and Spike had spent the last two hours reading the book. Her speaking aloud the passages that Spike seemed most interested in, and him munching away on popcorn, tossing one at Twilight's way now and then for her to catch in magic and pop into her mouth.

But after reading late into the night, and Twilight devouring more popcorn than Spike, eventually they decided to call it a night and have a fresh start in the morning. And no matter how helpful the warm bath had been, Twilight's body still needed rest to recover from her recent ordeal. Reluctantly, Spike went to bed while Twilight went to brush her mane in the bathroom; as well as throw out the mess she had made that morning

While finishing the last chapter of 'Produces of Protection', she flipped back to the table of contents and skimmed down the rows for another section to quickly skim before finishing her brushing. Her eyes stopped on 'Suspicious Symptoms Indicating Infection'. Humming aloud, she flipped to the chapter and began reading.

 _"The signs of a Vampirism are often subtle, but very straight forward. Red colored eyes have always been one of the easiest defining factors even though it can be found naturally on some ponies."_

Twilight paused reading, and halted her brush in midair, a sudden memory flashing in her mind from last night. She can't believe she had forgotten it until now, but the pony that attacked her had one of the reddest eyes she had ever seen.

Dismissing the notion, she resumed her brushing. _It must be a coincidence, I know some ponies here in Ponyville with red eyes. It doesn't mean he was a vampony._

But despite her protests, she lifted her head as she thought over the ponies she knew, cross referencing the physique of the ones she knew off the top of her head with that of the attacker; highly unlikely since she trusted everypony here, but it was still something she shouldn't overlook.

It was doing so that her train of thought stopped, and the sound of a falling brush hitting the floor echoed in the bathroom moments later. She had been staring idly in the mirror while thinking, when her gaze passed over her eyes. Leaning forward with a held breath, she looked closer at the unfamiliar coloring she had found earlier this morning. If wasn't sure, but she could have sworn the amount of red on her iris edges had grown slightly. The same color of red the pony that attacked her had.

Having been lost in her eyes for some time, she shook her head sideways and pulled away from the mirror. "No, I will not accept that as proof that it was a vampony that did this to me. For all I know it's a side effect of something else." Twilight shoved the very thought aside, her skepticism ungiving for a single coincidence with the listed symptom. But when she looked down again at the book, another thought crossed her mind. _Trail owns this. And he… has red eyes…_ Twilight's mouth opened a little as she tried to make some understanding of it all. _That's right, I thought he was Trail at first because of his eyes…_

Feeling less sure of her stance on the matter, Twilight continued reading. _"The second definitive sign is the bite marks that are left after being bitten by a vampony. Though it has been recorded to appear on other parts of the body, the neck is often the preferred location for drinking blood and/or the spreading of the vampiric curse. This trait though does require some cooperation with the suspected individual as a thorough examination of their coat must be performed. When unable to cooperate, delicate use of force is recommended to ensure purity of the individual._

With a chill down her spine, Twilight paused once again as another memory flashed in her mind. She recalled in clarity her attacker moving towards her, and the gripping paralyzing sensation of something piercing her neck, of which she had lost consciousness shortly after. Not realizing she was holding her breath again while recalling the event, she quickly moved back to the mirror and began parting the hairs on her neck. She revealed small sections at a time with her magic, looking for anything that might have indicated she was indeed bitten. And her blood felt like it had froze when she did.

Right in the mirror, under her parted coat, were two scars an inch or so apart. They looked to be the marks where two fangs pierced her skin, and by the width of the scar, they had appeared to have punctured deep.

Twilight's magic ended as her mind reeled over the scars. She slowly turned her neck to face herself fully in the mirror once more, her breathing becoming shallow as she regarded herself in a new and terrifying perspective. She returned the gaze of the mare in the mirror, the mare with red tinged eyes that now seemed different. She couldn't look at her without thinking that inside; that she secretly might be turning into something awful, something that she had never believed in before, but was now staring her in the face. She held the opposing mares gaze with wide eyes and crease lines on her forehead in worry until she began to shake her head side to side once more.

"No, vamponies are not real! This has to be some elaborate trick or the work of some foal who still believes in such crazy ideas!" Whipping her head back to the mare in the mirror again, she spoke to it with a commanding tone. "You are not turning into a vampony, and you are going to figure out what really _is_ going on. Got it?" The reflection nodded once in response at the same time as her. "Good. Now I'm going to sleep, and figuring out more in the morning."


	10. Chapter 10

_'Mirrors are friends.'_

"Read it."

'Evasive Night Movements.'

"Read that one too. "

 _'Regenerative Powers.'_

"Fascinating, but read it."

 _'One Hundred and One uses for Vampony Teeth.'  
_

"Ugh… read it."

Twilight slid her hoof further down the table of contents of the Corpus Nocte Morsu, scanning the various chapter titles for one she had perhaps somehow missed, or only vaguely recalled so that she could refresh herself on its topic. While the book did contain a wealth of information on what she still considered to be a fictional creature, its size was no match for Twilight's prowess of reading. It had quickly succumbed to her twelve hundred words per minute reading skill, a feat that had secured her a spot in the 'Hoovensens World Records' book. No pony had even come close to matching her reading speed since her admittance into the records, and the ponies who came even close to her speed lacked her level of comprehension; she seemingly absorbed every word like a sponge. It was with such ability that Twilight now found herself with a fully read book by noon, not even a having spent half a day scouring its pages.

"Ugh… There has to be more than this." She leaned forward and rested her chin onto the desk, narrowing her eyes at the open pages. _There has to be something in here, something I missed or hidden between the words. Trail is a smart pony, and if he suspected somepony was after him, then he would have taken some precautionary steps._

 _Whoever that pony was the other night obviously meant to take both books. Or maybe he did see it and left it behind intentionally. But why would he do that? No, no, he must have missed it. What possible reason would he choose leave behind something that could give me clues?_

Twilight sighed again. "Look at me, I'm thinking this over as if vamponies _are_ real. I'm getting too wrapped up into this. Just because this book has some good explanations on how they might work," Twilight said with a wave of her hoof," doesn't prove that they are. I mean really, I'm supposed to believe that a vampony's muscles are built in such a way that allows them increased strength without extra muscle mass? That isn't even possible with magic!"

Silence filled the library as her question hung in the air.

"And supposedly they need blood to survive? How does that make sense!?"

Again she was met with silence.

"What's so magical about blood anyways…" Twilight mumbled. "It's not like it has any special properties or applications, and who would want it to have anyways? Even if it did have magical properties, drinking it would be the _least_ favorable way of activating it."

Twilight lazily looked over the table of contents again, before blinking in curiosity at one of the chapters. "The Vampony's Diet… Wait a second…"

Propping herself up as she flipped through the pages, she began to reread the chapter. "Consists of blood… frequency unknown… reasoning unknown… favorable positions are the neck… reports of a 'burning' sensation in their throats when cornered and…"

Twilight skimmed the rest of the page before moving back up to the section that had caught her eye. "Reports of a 'burning' sensation in their throats when cornered and prepared for detainment. The burn appears to be a common occurrence in thirsty vamponies—blood being the only thing to have any diminishing effects on it—and they will go to any lengths to sate it."

Twilight furrowed her brow. "Why a burning sensation? That would mean something is becoming inflamed or irritated, or…"

She picked the book up in her hooves and brought it closer in contemplation. "Or… heat? No, why would heat be generated? It's not like they need to melt anything down or break apart something, and what _could_ even be broken down with low temperature that doesn't risk the safety of-"

Her eyes widen. "Break something down..."

Flipping back to the table of contents, she searched for another chapter, and then opened to book to its page number, simultaneously saving her place magically from before. She ran her hoof down the paragraphs until she found the section she was looking for. "However, once a vampony has received an ample supply of blood, strength, recovery, and behavior returns to normal levels, if not in excess at times. It has even been reported from witnesses that their bodies seemingly becoming thicker as their muscles became more apparent and defined."

"That's it," Twilight whispered as the proverbial clogs clinked into place. "They burn blood, releasing its magical properties and utilizing them to sustain their existence."

Twilight stared widely at the page as the revelation settled in, but then flared her nostrils and plopped her chin back onto the desk. "That's probably how it _would_ work if blood _did_ have magical properties, or if vamponies were even real to begin with!"

The notion however, did not cease the flurry of reasoning and deduction in her brain, and shortly, she found herself burrowing holes in the wall with her eyes as her brain ran through loops of theory after theory of how vamponies might work; eventually wandering into the realm of the absurd. She was in the middle of a tangent of the possibilities that revolved around unexplained magical theories concerning enchanted food poisoning, before a knock of was heard on the door accompanied with a cheerful voice. "Twilight, darling! Are you ready for our luncheon?"

Twilight's eyes narrowed as she shifted her gaze to the door. _This only supports Page Hoof's theories on magically moldy spaghetti causing oddly related and highly coincidental events,_ Twilight thought as her ears flicked in irritation. Exhaling with frustration, Twilight answered loudly, "I'll be right out. Just give me a minute to clean up."

"Alright, I'll be across the street window shopping," Rarity replied, shortly followed by the muffled sound of her retreating hoof steps.

Twilight remained still for a few moments before reluctantly sitting up in her chair, and letting out an exasperated sigh. _What am I supposed to do? I've tried every eye-changing spell I know, this fictional book about make believe creatures isn't telling me anything, and Trail's house is still a mess._

Twilight's dropped her head forward while her ears splayed back. _All of this is becoming so confusing, and I don't even know where to begin._

The echoing calls of birds outside the library rang through the quiet library, reminding Twilight that despite the uncertainty and dread that she was feeling right now, there was a perfectly good day waiting for her, and a friend whom she promised to meet for lunch.

 _No, I can't get too wrapped up in this. I've learned to take breaks, and I should take one right now. Maybe things will become more clear after I eat something._

Straightening her back, Twilight closed her eyes and brought a hoof up to her chest. With a deep breath, she exhaled slowly while extending her foreleg out in front of her. Once performed, Twilight ears pricked up and she found a smile spreading across easily. _Wow, that was easy. This trick getting better and better each time._

Opening her eyes again, Twilight's smiled changed into look of curiosity as she regarded at the open book before her. Her confusion however, abruptly changed to light-hearted giggling. "Right, I was studying about vamponies."

While humming a cheery tune, Twilight saved the page and floated the book, along with others she had pulled out for the possibility of references, to an out of the way spot atop a high shelf. "I'll get back you to later."

She then proceeded to clean up the pile of dishes she had collected through the morning, and the fact that not a single crumb was left on them did nothing to lessen the growl from her stomach in anticipation of lunch. After depositing them in the kitchen and taking one last look around the library, ensuring that there was nothing else she could clean up, Twilight departed the library while still humming, and cheerfully trotted across the street to Rarity who stood in front of a store's window display.

"Oh, look at this one, Twilight," Rarity said whilst still looking inside when she saw her reflection approach. "See the way its shape accents the color? My, isn't it just the most beautiful shade… of… red…" Rarity trailed off when she turned to face Twilight.

With her interest piqued, Twilight leaned forward to peer through the glass at the one that caught her attention. "Are you talking about that one? It looks nice, but I'm pretty sure it's green, not red."

"Not the jewelry, darling, I'm talking about your eyes," Rarity said, her own staring widely at Twilight. "Are you trying a new color, dear? I know there are some spells to do that—I was never good at them myself unfortunately—but from the looks of it, you were only… _partially_ , successful at an attempt on yours."

Twilight blinked blankly before looking into the window, regarding her faint reflection and the pair of lavender eyes that had thin trails of crimson around the center. "No, it wasn't a spell, at least not one I casted," Twilight replied casually.

"Oh? Well do tell, how did you get them? I would love to replicate it if possible, although I think I would choose a more fitting color."

Twilight's eyes focused on the ground as she answered, "I don't know exactly how I got them yet, just that they appeared the morning after I was attacked."

"ATTACKED!?" Rarity shouted, causing Twilight to wince.

 _Right, nopony knows yet except Spike. How could I have forgotten to spread the news?_

Despite Twilight's calm and carefree attitude to the matter, Rarity was the complete opposite. "Are you alright? Did you get hurt? When did it happen? Who was it? Do I know them?"

Twilight raised a hoof. "Rarity, it's okay, really. I'm fine. I'll… I'll tell you during lunch, okay?"

Rarity scrunched her nose and looked as if she was about to tell Twilight off, but somewhat relaxed her stern features, if only a little. "Very well, but I do expect to hear _every_ little detail about what happened."

* * *

"And that's it?" Rarity asked skeptically.

"That's everything," Twilight repeated before biting into a celery sandwich.

They had decided on eating outdoors to enjoy the lovely summer weather, but beneath one of the large umbrella tables at Twilight's request, leaving her and the fashionista sitting comfortably in the shade. Rarity did not mind at all at the chance to enjoy the day while still remaining protected from the sun's heat, nor did she pay mind that they were at the edge of the open seated restaurant, well away from anypony also at Twilight's request.

"Um, I hope you don't mind me saying," Rarity said. "It's nice to see you're well after such a dreadful thing and all, but…"

"Buf whad?" Twilight said with her mouth full.

Rarity paused at the sight of the Twilight, watching with silent horror as a few crumbs fell from her mouth. "…Chew your food, darling," Rarity eventually said. She was answered with an audible gulp and sheepish grin from Twilight. After she motioned to Twilight to wipe off a few crumbs that had fallen onto her coat, Rarity continued. "It's good to see handling it so well, but you seem a little bit more… how should I say… at _ease_ , then you should be. For goodness sakes Twilight, you were attacked! And by the sound of it, a ruffian that doesn't know better than to _not_ shove a unicorns horn into the dirt. Why, if he had done such a thing to me…"

"But I'm alright," Twilight insisted. "Save for these eyes and scars on my neck."

"Yes, another thing that concerns me," Rarity continued. "Who in their right mind bites somepony in the neck? That strange shadowy magic you mentioned alone is concerning enough. I know I am not an expert in magic like yourself, but I have never heard of something like it. The fact alone that you haven't is even more worrisome."

Twilight shrugged her shoulders as she picked the sandwich up in her magic, preparing to take another bite. "Well there's no sense in worrying about it right now when I have nothing for a lead. You know how things turn out when I obsessively freak out about stuff I can't fix right away."

"That I do…" Rarity agreed. She observed Twilight in silent thought, shuddering slightly at the unlady like behavior of her licking her lips clean of mayonnaise, before plunging her muzzle deep into the sandwich again, only to reapply the mayonnaise she had licked off moments before. _I must admit seeing her more relaxed about things is comforting, but something seems off. She is simply acting too… too... well, like Pinkie._

While Rarity watched Twilight eat her lunch in a way she would never dare act in public, her eyes drifted over Twilight's shoulder at a familiar pony walking down the street. "Why, if it isn't Applejack," Rarity commented. "I wonder what brought her into town today."

Twilight turned around to follow her gaze. "Of yhe," she said with another full mouth.

Scrunching her nose at the thought of telling Twilight to chew her food again, she let it slide; instead choosing to raise her hoof to wave at Applejack. "Yooohooo! Applejack! Over here!" Applejack's turned at the sound of her name, sporting a smile at the direction of the two as she trotted over.

"Afternoon all. Enjoying some lunch?" Applejack as she stood next to their table.

"Yes, Twilight and I are just enjoying a little luncheon we had set up together. What are you up to?"

Applejacks demeanor changed from happy to annoyance in the blink of an eye. "Ah'm looking fer my little sis and her friends. Those three took Bic Mac's yoke for some crazy reason or another, and now we can't till a new plot that we were planning to work on. Me and Big Mac have been looking fer them all morning, you haven't seen 'em have you?"

Twilight shook her head as she chewed while Rarity spoke, "No I'm sorry dear. We haven't seen them all day, at least not since I saw off Sweetie Bell this morning. I promise I had no idea what she was planning to do today."

Applejack puffed out a breath of air in frustration that flipped her hanging locks. "It's alright. Celestia knows nopony can imagine what's going on in their heads."

Rarity and Twilight nodded in agreement before Rarity narrowed her brow. "While the mischievous actions of our sisters is worrisome, I actually called you over if you had heard that Twilight was apparently attacked a few nights ago, something I just only _now_ found out about." Rarity's shot a Twilight a glare, causing her to shrink back somewhat.

"What!?" Applejack exclaimed as she looked between the two, her demeanor having immediately washed away into concern. "No I did _not_ hear! What happened?"

Rarity and Applejack looked towards Twilight expectantly who still had a piece of food in her mouth, swallowed and let her eyes drift to the side as she muttered, "Why does everypony have to act so worried. It's not like I haven't been in dangerous situations before."

"Twilight," Rarity began, "We know you're more than capable of defending yourself most of the time. But that doesn't mean we aren't going to be concerned when something does happen. That stranger could have done anything to you when you became unconsciousness."

"Wait a minute, are you telling me you got beat!?" Applejack asked in disbelief.

Twilight's eyes narrowed as a bit of red flared on her cheeks. "It's not my fault that he used some magic I've never seen before. If I had been able to use mine he never would have kept me pinned to the ground like he did."

"You weren't able to use your magic?" Rarity asked. When Twilight's eyes avoided her gaze once again while flattening her ears, Rarity grimaced. "Twilight, I thought you told me _every_ little detail."

Twilight began to fidget in her seat as she took another large bite out her sandwich, chewing a few bites before mumbling, "Mufth'ful… cahnt tahk…"

Rarity skeptically raised a single eyebrow at Twilight's pitiful attempt to avoid the discussion, while Applejack's were up from confusion at her behavior as she looked back and forth between the two for an answer to some joke or sign she had perhaps missed as clued by Twilight's odd behavior.

When it was clear Twilight was going to continue her charade of a very large mouthful, Rarity sighed and turned to Applejack. "It seems Twilight had been attacked a few days ago by somepony she was chasing through the woods."

"Why was she chasing a pony?" Applejack asked, her eyes still locked on Twilight who was chewing slower even now and still avoiding her gaze.

"Apparently, it was a thief that had broken in Trail's house."

That had caught Applejacks attention, drawing her attention back to Rarity. "Trail's?"

"Hmhmm. Twilight had chased the pony into the woods after catching him in the act, and a fair distance too it seems before she lost sight of him. Before she knew it, apparently some strange shadowy things restrained her and pinned her into the ground. I' guessing it was at that point her magic stopped working?" Rarity asked while glaring at Twilight disapprovingly, looking for some kind of response or confirmation she had guessed the order of events. All she got was a single head nod in return. Replying with a cold stare, Rarity turned back to Applejack. "Afterwards, it gets a little weird as he… well, I guess there's only one way to say it. He _bit_ her."

"Bit her?"

"That's correct. She even has the scars on her neck to prove it."

Applejack glanced back to Twilight. The whole situation sounded weird from the get go. After all, it was Twilight, a powerful alicorn who's very cutie mark was about magic, and the idea that she had somehow been subdued by a pony worried Applejack to no end, but an odd feeling nagged at her even more than her concern. The last sentence Rarity said about the attacker lingering in Applejack's mind. _A bite to tha neck…_

"After that," Rarity continued with a raised hoof. "She woke up in the forest with the mysterious pony gone. A quick search of Trail's house later found nothing stolen, but there were some floorboards damaged. Apparently, there was a book beneath them that went missing."

"A book?" Applejack asked turning back to Rarity.

"Hmhmm, but," Rarity paused for dramatic effect, "the robber had missed the second book next to it. Spike and her found an old and no doubt, dust laden book that they think is about whatever he was looking for."

"And that is?" Applejack asked.

Rarity leaned forward slightly as she answered. "Vamponies."

Applejack froze at mention of the word. _Vamponies…_ she repeated in her mind. The memory of chasing Trail out into the woods, apparently the very woods Twilight had ventured in, and finding him out in the clearing spouting off nonsense of a creature that existed only in stories and fables came rushing back into her mind. She was lost in her recollection of the night until the sound of Rarity repeating her name snapped her out of it. "Oh, sorry," Applejack apologized.

"Are you alright?" Twilight finally spoke, conveniently having decided to have chewed enough of the food in her mouth before swallowing.

"Yeah, Ah'm fine it's just… You don't believe in it do you?" Applejack asked both of them.

"Of course not," Twilight replied. "They're just an old mare's tale."

"I don't mean to be rude, dear," Rarity interjected. "But didn't you once say that everypony else thought that the Mare in the Moon was just an old mares tale as well?"

"Yeah, but that's different," Twilight replied.

"Really? How so?"

"Well, it's just…" Twilight began, but found she had nothing to say in definitive.

Rarity seized her pause before she could come up with an argument. "I apologize if I am to direct, but I don't think you should put it off the table considering the recent events that happened to you," Rarity said. Twilight tilted her head down, still racking her mind for something to say in return. While she did, another thought popped into Rarity's head. "Do you know when Trail will return? I'm sure he will be shocked to hear that his home was broken into."

Twilight shook her head in reply. "No, I have no idea when he's coming back. He just took off and left." Twilight looked thoughtfully into what little was left of her sandwich as she went over her last few moments with Trail. "Come to think of it, the last thing he said was for me to be careful…"

Rarity's focused zoned in on at that little tid bit of information, her mind connecting points together to paint a picture of this mystery, a suspicion already forming on how it may end up looking like. "Do you suppose he knew of the pony coming to his home?"

"It seems likely," Twilight said, the option having crossed her mind as well.

"Do you think he also knows of that book you found and the one the robber was looking for?"

"I'm not sure, for all we know that book had been there for years. Somepony could have placed them there long before Trail moved in."

"Uh… ah don't think so," Applejack hesitantly chimed in.

The two of them turned up to Applejack curiously. "How would you know?" Twilight asked.

"Ah, well… ah would say it's from something that had happened with me and Trail some time ago," Applejack answered slowly. When she received further questioning looks from the two she quickly stammered, "Look ah'm not saying ah believe in tha stuff, but I had a run in with Trail about… well, about vamponies a bit ago."

"Really?" Twilight asked immediately, shifting herself closer to Applejack. "What happened? Did he say anything about them important?"

"Nothing particular that ah can remember. He just spouted off a bunch of stuff about how he knew they were real and had been collecting information and what-not about their existence. I took him for a crazy pony at the time, and it sounds he's not the only one if somepony else is going around and biting others on the neck."

Twilight looked slightly disappointed as she eased back into her chair. "I suppose I shouldn't be expecting anything less. I still can't bring myself to believe in them either. All of it just sounds too absurd to be real."

While Applejack and Twilight held the similar opinions on the matter, Rarity on the other hoof, was still stitching together the pieces that had been revealed throughout the conversation. "So what you're saying, Applejack, is that Trail had mentioned to you earlier about the existence of vamponies. And sometime later, Twilight is attacked as well as finding a book about vamponies, a book that was found in Trails house who believes in vamponies."

"Are you implying it's Trails fault?" Twilight asked, a little more defensively than she had intended.

"No, I'm not saying that," Rarity emphasized. "But you can't ignore the fact he is somehow tied into this. It was his house after all, and from the sound of it, his book as well." As Twilight began to mull over it, Rarity continued, "But there are two more pieces that support the idea that maybe Trail is on to something that I feel has been neglected somewhat during this discussion."

"And that is?" Twilight asked.

"Applejack, look into Twilight's eyes."

Applejack looked at Rarity curiously before complying. _Alright, what the heck am ah looking fer in Twilight's eyes that's… oh._ Applejack blinked a few times to make sure she saw correctly. "They're… red. Right there on tha edges."

"Yes, my eyes are red. How many times do we have to bring it up?" Twilight grumbled.

"My second piece is this thought," Rarity said, before waiting patiently until she had their full attention. "It had crossed my mind while we sat here as Twilight ate," she said tossing a disapproving glance towards Twilight. "How does a pony, which I remind you two, whom have flat teeth, leave _fang_ marks?

The two of them were silent as that fact rang across their minds, both of which felt like the final nail had been struck into the proverbial coffin that was the serious consideration of vamponies being real. The realization that she had been bitten by a vampony and could potentially turn into one, finally became an option she could no longer dismiss.


	11. Chapter 11

"H-hello…?" Twilight's called out, flinching as her voice echoed about her. She was in the middle of a void, a pitch black darkness that replied with a distorted version of her voice. Oddly enough however, her echo repeated several more times with volume, before eventually, it faded away for good, almost as if the mimicker had moved far away.

"Is anypony there?"

 _"There... There… There…"_

Twilight flattened her ears as her voice echo around her again, noting that that it sounded as if it was resounding off nearby walls within the void. She remained quiet during the time it took for the echo to finally became silent.

 _Where are am I?_

Looking about, she found nothing but blackness around her, except for the odd fact she was able to make herself out clearly. Lifting a hoof to her face, she blinked in curiosity at being able to see her foreleg as normally as she would during the day. She then tested it by extending it out, and found it was still perfectly visible. There was no source of light that should have made it possible to see herself but not the ground beneath her. But despite being able to see her own form, the absolute darkness around her was beginning to cause a sense of vertigo, and she brought a hoof to her head in attempts to steady herself. It was as if the sun had blacked out everything save her.

Then another noise that did not emanate from her echoed faintly about her, causing her ears to prick forward. Looking around again but more fearfully, Twilight attempted to pinpoint the source of a slow but steady, _"Plip…. Plip….. Plip…"_

 _Steady, Twilight. It's sounds like it's just water… It's just water…_ Twilight brought a hoof to her chest to ease her beating heart which thrummed loudly in her ears, nearly encompassing the sound of the water. _It's alright, calm down. Just… figure out where you are._

Waiting sometime for her heartbeat to become calmer, Twilight took a step forward, and nearly jumped out of her skin as the resounding echo of her step. Her heart skyrocketed at causing such a loud disturbance, and her lungs worked mouthfuls of air through her body. Her tongue felt dry, the blood rushed through her ears, and her chest was beginning to hurt.

 _Why am I so afraid? Come on! Calm down!_

Swallowing, Twilight attempted to breath out her nostrils only to calm herself. But the nervousness inside her prevented her from doing so for long, and she returned to open mouth breathing. There was no getting around it; she was terrified.

But despite her feelings, she decided it would be worse staying where she was. And against the instinct that if she moved, that even one step would spell her end for whatever lurked in the dark, she moved forward, each echo sounding off loudly that made her insides quiver.

It was unnerving for her to move without being able to see anything in front of her. Were it not for the thankful reassurance at being able to see her legs beneath her, she wouldn't even have been sure if her eyes were open or not. But even seeing her legs in motion, it did not quell the suspicion that she walking in place, unable to use any other source at a point of reference. It was then the soft sound of water dripping was heard again, ahead, and then behind as she past it. What started out as one trickle in the darkness, soon became a symphony of water dripping about her.

 _The air feels damp._

Noting the atmosphere of wherever she was, Twilight took in a deep breath with her nose. _Ugh, it smells musty and stagnant._

Exhaling, Twilight was surprised to see mist leave her mouth. She watched the vapors trail away from her and vanished in moments, and as if on cue to seeing her breath, the air about her suddenly became much colder than it was before. A shiver traveled down her spine as she clung her legs together for warmth.

 _How did I not notice this chill before?_ she thought with squeezed eyes. _What's going on? Where am I? This place… it doesn't make any sense. What happened to me? Why can't I remember how I got here?_

With question after question firing from her mind, Twilight huddled herself onto the ground, desperately trying to keep every fragment of warmth she had left.

"I just want to go home, take me home…"Twilight rocked her head forward and back. "Just go home, this isn't real… just take me ho-NHEA!"

Twilight lept off the ground at the sensation of water splashing in front of her and onto her face. She breathed heavily as she felt the droplets of water slide down her cheek, and shakily raised a hoof to wipe it off. Letting out a miserable groan, Twilight sank back down to the floor, feeling a tear sliding down the path of the water droplet. _I don't like it here… I just want to go home…please..._

The sound of another splash of water, just as close as the first time made Twilight's ears perk. She flinched her muscles in preparation to leap away again, but held herself still. _That water splashed on something… something that isn't the ground considering it hit my face._

Forcing herself to breathe normally again, Twilight summoned her courage, and tentatively extended a hoof out to the nearest sound of splashing. It was unnerving to watch her arm extend into nothingness, and it took all her strength to not scream as she did touch something, causing her to immediately recoil.

Finally in the overwhelming darkness, she had touched something, and whatever it was, it was hard. Twilight timidly poked at the object again, growing more confident with each prod. After a few faint touches, she placed her entire hoof onto it, rubbing it across what was a craggy and wet surface. After blindly searching the object, she blinked in realization of what it was. _A rock…_

The moment her recognition of the object came to, the rock she had been feeling immediately appeared into view. She drew her hoof back again on its sudden appearance.

"A stalagmite?"

She stared blankly at the rock formation as water continued to drip onto it from somewhere above. With her breathing becoming more even, Twilight stood up and inspected the rock in closer detail. _There's a stalagmite in front of me, the air is chilly, and everything feels wet. Which means…_ Twilight turned around to stare out in the unending dark. "I must be in a cave."

 _"Cave... Cave… Cave…"_

In kind with the stalagmite, a world suddenly flashed into view in the empty space around her. She gazed about as she slowly turned around in circles in awe of finding herself in a massive cavern. Everywhere she looked, grey and craggy rock formations filled the floor and ceiling with long reaching spires of stone, and water dripping steadily from them and onto the bottom. The floor itself was uneven and covered in a variety of sizes of rocks or broken stalactites, making her wonder how she had even walked about in the first place when before, she found nothing but a smooth and flat floor.

She noted that there was no visible light source, and no magic flowing through her horn. No explanation for how she could see things, only that she was just somehow able to. But while she was able to finally see where she was, the large cavern still held plenty of dark shadows that she could not see into. Squinting her eyes, she was only able to make out lager spires off into the distance that faded into the never ending darkness.

 _Just how big is this cave? It looks like it could fit nearly half of Ponyville in here._

As Twilight stood with a open mouth in wonderment and curiosity as to where such a cave could be, she sucked in her breath as a new sound broke through the unending dripping of water. Her heartbeat began quickening again, much to her confusement. She brought a hoof to her chest and felt it beat against her ribcage much more noticeably than it should have been normally possible. "What is going on?" she breathed quietly.

Her ears pricked back in forth as she attempted to discern the source of her rising anxiety. It echoed about the pillars of rocks in a garbled fashion, before slowing coming into clarity the sound of high-pitched squeaks, and the scrapping of tiny claws against stone. What had started out as a few noises, steadily grew in chorus as more unseen things added their voices and claws, working their way into a maddening chittering that easily drowned out the sounds of falling water.

Twilight flattened her ears to block out the sound as it jumped to something that was near borderline painful to hear, and stumbled backwards in a desperate attempt to get away from whatever was causing it. But it was all about her, and it activated a primal fear deep that was buried deep within her. A fear that she could not escape nor grasp reasonably.

She swung her head frantically about to shake the noises from her ears, and to see where and what horrible things were causing what was now hundreds of voices shrieking, only becoming worse with each moment from the added echoes of the cavern. But she could not spot a thing besides the pillars of rock, and the dark shadows; shadows capable of hiding anything within the nooks and crannies of the rock.

With a moment of clarity that appeared suddenly amongst the deafening noise, Twilight turned her gaze upward into the crevices above, peering into the depths of the shadows. At first she was not able to spot them, but slowly, their forms were able to be made out. She didn't know how she could not have noticed them before, but what was once a barren and rocky ceiling, was now covered in an endless dark swarm of tiny bodies, their movements jarring and chaotic as each one twisted and flapped about individually.

The distance and darkness of the cave alone should have made it impossible to make them out any further than a blur, but Twilight found their forms beginning clearer and clearer to see. She looked wordlessly up to them, unaware of her body relaxing somewhat at the fact the noise they had been making was becoming more bearable despite their volume not decreasing.

High above her, was bat after bat after bat, so many that there wasn't a speck of rock left on the ceiling. Most shrieked and cried with all their breaths, some hung still in content, and others flapped about wildly with unknown fury.

As Twilight looked over the endless waves of bats, her mouth became dry, her panicked breaths doubled, nearly borderlining hyperventilation, and her chest began to hurt with each pounding beat of her heart.

 _This doesn't make any sense! Where in Equestria am I!?_

Twilight fumbled backwards and bumped into a stalagmite, and slide down to the ground as her legs refused to respond any further.

 _I just want to go home… Please, someone,_ anyone _... take me home…_

Through the deafening roar of bats, through the pounding that filled her ears, and through the darkness all around her, a strange yet familiar voice whispered clearly, "You are home."

Twilight gasped as her eyes darted upwards and onto the body of a bat she had not noticed before until that very moment. It hung in the middle of the throng of furry bodies, a massive form that was larger than any of those around it. From where she stood, Twilight idly reasoned it was a large as her; a thought that sent shivers down her spine. It hung motionless while wrapped within it's leathery-wings, looking something akin to a beacon tower in a stormy ocean of bodies.

As Twilight looked onward with awe and fear, she flinched as one of its wings twitched. Its sudden movement froze Twilight in place more so than any spell of holding she had ever experienced; her body simply not allowing her to move, nor allow her eyes pry themselves away while she watched helplessly as the massive thing unfurled itself.

One wing slowly extended away, shortly followed by the second jerking out with a snapping motion, before it too slowly spread. The large leathery appendages were wicked looking and even more expansive than they had appeared while wrapped up, stretching out over a large number of bats beneath it, somehow adding shadow atop their already dark forms. Twilight's heart pounded more painfully in her chest as she stared at the revealed figure, and what was an attempt at a terrified scream died weakly in her throat. It now made sense as to why its voice sounded so familiar to Twilight, for the large hanging creature that stared down from above her, was herself.

It was a Twilight doppelganger that perched menacingly above her, its feathery alicorn wings traded in for those of a bat, its flat teeth now pointed fangs extending past its lips, and what was once purple eyes were now a cold and dominating gaze of red. Twilight stared at the abomination in absolute horror, unable to comprehend how such a thing could exist. Everything about it was familiar yet so different. It was like staring into a dark version of herself she never knew existed. If its appearance was unsettling enough, the way it watched her was akin to something she only had a few chances in life to have witnessed. It was the look of the rare predator eying its next prey; cold, unforgiving, and hungry.

To Twilight, the monstrosity above her was the embodiment of death itself.

If there was a inkling within Twilight that her situation could not become worse than it already was, some unnatural force answered that silent hope, and removed it thoroughly. What was once the splattering of water on top of jutting rocks, now became a deep splunk as the previously clear liquid turned into a darker color. Twilight found she was able to pry her eyes from the creature, and hesitantly looked at the nearest rock formation beside her.

A sickly color of red splattered across its surface as drop after drop of blood began to rain down from the ceiling. The ichor like substance oozed down the edges of the rock as it grew thicker from further drops, some of it splashing directly on her cheek like the water before.

Twilight's veins felt as if they had been filled with ice, and a sickly feeling overtook her stomach. However, she had only a few brief moments to take in the ghastly sight before she felt the odd sensation of falling, much to the despair of her already queasy insides.

Looking back up, she saw the ghoulish look-alike still standing in the ocean of bats, continuing to stare at her in a hungry fashion. She nor Twilight had not moved at all, but it somehow had felt like they had reversed their positions. Twilight then felt the strong pull of gravity creep from below her, to her sides, and finally above her. Blinking in confusion as she tried to processes what was happening while simultaneously keeping the contents of her stomach inside, she realized in horror what had happened when her bangs suddenly flopped above her. What had been the ground was now the ceiling.

The creature that was now below had never moved its eyes away from her during transition, its red eyes orbs taking note of every little detail about Twilight in either fascination or hunger; which one it was, Twilight did not know. Small panicked gasps for breath escaped Twilight's lips as her lungs attempted to pull more air in. She was unable to prevent herself from hyperventilating any longer, her reasoning and logic that would have eased her having already left her long ago. For the briefest of moments, the thought that perhaps the creature had casted some spell similar to the one she had used on the staircase in the crystal kingdom, and how she could dispel it. But to her unending horror, her reflection on ending it caused whatever force was holding her to cease, and then she fell.

It was a slow descent as if she had jumped up, but continued to rise with increasing speed, almost as if gravity was still working out which direction she should be going. Beneath her, the throng of bats shrieking took on an even higher volume at having taken spotted Twilight's body coming towards them; their movements becoming more erratic as they flapped their wings and swung their heads to and fro. All of them moved frantically except for one; the bat-like doppelganger who remained motionless and calm as Twilight descended, a toothy smile that looked towards her expectantly. Its wings were stretched out wide as if it was greeting Twilight in a friendly manner, waiting with open embrace to catch Twilight. And Twilight was falling directly towards it.

 _I'm going to die…_ Twilight numbly thought as she fell closer. _By Celestia, I'm going to die…_

She could only stare helplessly in terror as she was nearly upon it, her last breath seemingly a lifetime ago and her heart pounding as if it would rip itself out of her chest. But just before she touched it, she dimly noticed that its once alien and dominating eyes, now held a softer look about them, almost as they were welcoming a long lost friend into a protective embrace.

Then, Twilight closed her eyes, and fell into its grasp.

* * *

It seemed as if hours passed, feeling lost in the dark similar to the one she had awoken to. Twilight was unable to move during the time or able to see her own body like before. She was simply trapped in what was a black purgatory. It was a lost and lonely place with nothing appearing before her eyes no matter how much she willed something to. There was no sound and no light, only darkness and her worries. Then, through that darkness, a voice called out again. Her voice.

"Welcome home…"

Sensation returned to Twilight's eyes she felt them locked in place by some force. Fighting, she willed with all her might to open them, to see something else besides the darkness. With a groan she turned her neck about before finally breaking loose and opening them. A relieved gasp escaped her lips at being able to see again. As her vision focused the blurry objects around her, she blinked sorely as if her eyes had been closed for years. When painful sensation passed, and her vision clear again, her entire body clenched as she found herself sitting in the middle of the sea of bats she had watched from afar before.

All about her, were the small forms of bats tightly pressing their bodies against each other and hers, their soft furry bodies rubbing lightly against her coat. She looked about fearfully of now being so close to them, taking in each face of the one immediately next to her with as little movement on her end as possible. Their chittering voices still echoed about the cavern, but at a much calmer level now. She was even able to hear the droplets of liquid again, and the sound of her own breathing.

As Twilight took in the strange scene, her eyes locked onto one of the bats at random, and to her surprise, she found she was able to separate its cry amongst the rest, its own voice a distinct sound amongst the chorus of their cries. Twilight's mouth hung open at the new ability, before she realized where she was again, and began to desperately look for an escape. She tightened her body each time of them brushed further against her, causing her to lean away futilely as it only pushed her into more. But as she looked about to flee, her eyes passed over more bats, and began to hear their voices amongst the rest as well. And as she did, their cries became calmer, and more oddly enough, familiar.

Twilight bit her lip in worry, and winced at a sharp sensation. Crossing her eyes, she looked downwards as her tongue poked a sore spot on her lips. As she explored with her tongue, she brushed up into her teeth, and narrowed her brows as she felt her canines were pointy instead of flat. As if her new teeth were not jarring enough, Twilight froze as something large moved within her peripheral.

Glancing at the corner of her eyes, Twilight saw the massive wingspan of the doppelganger pony from before, except what she saw was the tip of the leathery wings, their form stretching back towards her. For a moment, Twilight feared that it was behind her, waiting any second to sink its teeth into her and rip her apart. Yet when it did not come, Twilight realized its wing was instead _her_ wing.

While watching it wordlessly, she flexed leathery appendage, causing a soft swishing noise through the air as she pulled it back and forth. In tune with her command, Twilight felt the tug of the other wing, which after a turn of her head, confirmed both of her feathered wings were gone. She flapped them once, then twice in unison, feeling the air pull across her membranes. What should have been an odd sensation considering she was used to feathers, was instead a familiar and even comfortable one as she moved them about.

Breaking her attention on the changes of her body, a single bat cried out in a new shriek, drawing Twilight's towards it. She able was to differentiate its voice and location easily enough, and looked in confusion at it. Before she opened her mouth ask what in Equestria it wanted, another bat nearby replied in kind, then another, and another, until each bat near her and more by the second began to reply in the same fashion. Twilight's ears were on a constant swivel as she processed each bats call, unable to understand exactly what they were implying but somehow knowing that whatever it was, they were referring to her.

What was once unintelligibly noises escaping their mouths, slowly turned into a word Twilight was able to understand. They called out in unison, their voices raising to new heights as they chanted together in single call.

 _'Princess.'_

Understanding filling her, Twilight felt a tug in her chest. It wasn't the painful or sharp pull she felt before, but a gentle thud of her heart as a new wave of emotions washed over her. Before she had felt fear, worry, and even a small amount of hate towards the creatures about her when she had looked at them from below. But how she could have felt like before did not make sense to her when she reflected on the memory. Now, she felt nothing but the warmth of love, loyalty, and the need for her. She _needed_ to be there amongst them. She did not know how or why, or even cared at this point, she only felt the urge to protect them within her wide wings, safe from anything outside of her grasp; to keep them safe in her shadow.

It was then the black and beady eyes of the little bats began to reflect a reddish color. Twilight opened her mouth to ask why their eyes were changing, but then realized it wasn't their eyes that were turning color, it was the addition of a new light source that had not been there before. A soft glow of red washed over Twilight and the plethora of bats, and after looking up to see what was causing it, she gasped.

The previously rocky floor that had flipped into a ceiling, was gone and replaced with an ocean colored red.

Blood.

Twilight stared in awe at its wide expanse, lighting up what remained of the cavern in a colorful glow as it illuminated everything beneath it. She couldn't tear her eyes away as she watched waves of blood roll about its surface, cascading about itself endlessly, unable to tell if she was looking from above the ocean or from deep within it. Its color and reflections captivated her and invited her to swim amongst its crimson waves. She felt a craving build inside her, one she had not felt before that overpowered her other senses. The need to drink, filled her more than any hunger or lustful thought she had ever had in her life.

That ocean of blood was _life_. It was the source for everything. All would stem from it, and end their journey within its depths. Twilight now knew that she and she alone was capable of skimming across its surface, her wings touching into its depths briefly as she flew by like a gull would across the ocean. It was the world, and she was the being that could travel its never ending expanse and beauty. She, and the bats around her, could fly onward forever above its surface, never pulling far from its glow, and never sinking beneath its waves. She knew that this was where she belonged, to forever fly over the ocean that was life, her home for all of eternity. Trapped in an in-between state of life and death itself. On cue, Twilight's mouth moved automatically, her voice now fully hers, and without anything adding to it save the reassuring shrieks of bats.

"I'm home."

* * *

"GHAAA!" Twilight screamed as she bolted upright from underneath the covers, sweat dripping profusely beneath her coat. She took in deep breaths as she gulped in air, her heartbeat pounding in her ears from the dream. After a minute of reassuringly touching the blankets and her feathered wings to make sure they were real, Twilight began to calm down and leaned back against the headboard of her bed.

"It's alright… it was just a dream… Just a dream," she whispered between breaths.

She laid there for a few minutes, trying to recall every detail of it before fading into hazy memory. She had been in a cave of sorts, surrounded by winged creatures. She thought they were scary at first but eventually, they became familiar and she felt as if she even cared for them. Somehow she became attached to the things that had terrified her within the darkness. And even more confusing, she felt at home beside them. Like it was where she belonged.

Twilight ran over the dream in her mind again and again as she woke up, some details drifting off as her brain kicked started from her sleepy state. Unable to shake the strange feelings that had been solicited from her in the dream, she turned her head to look out the window to watch the morning sunlight brighten Ponyville. Yet instead, she saw an already well lit town outside her window. Her brain took a moment before finally clicking the sight together.

"Horse-apples! How much did I sleep in!?"

* * *

"There you are, I was just about to come up and wake you out of your sleep," Spike said as he shelved a book. "It's already twelve-thirty."

"I know I know, I'm sorry! I don't how I didn't wake up when I normally do," Twilight answered as she trotted down the stairs.

"It's alright, Twilight, I've been handling the library myself okay. A few ponies checked out some books, got about five returns, pretty much normal routine stuff."

"I know you can handle things on your own, it's just…. I…. URGHHH!" Twilight groaned as she walked across the floor.

"Uh, Twilight… you okay?"

Twilight snapped her heads towards him. "No I am not alright! I just had a horrible dream and I'm feeling absolutely awful from it. I feel angry, scared, and frustrated so much that I could punch a wall and cry at the same time!"

"I… uh…. I'm sorry?" Spike said hesitantly.

"Sorry? SORRY!?" Twilight stamped a hoof into the floor, causing a nearby pile of books to topple over.

"Twilight, please calm down! Why are you so angry!?" Spike said with his claws up in defense.

Twilight glared at him menacingly until she blinked in recognition of her actions, and pulled back, her scowl replaced with a sheepish and sorrowful look. "I'm sorry, Spike, I don't know what came over me…"

Spike tentatively lowered his hands as he regarded her with a newfound sense of respect and worry. A few moments passed between them until he asked, "Was it that bad of a dream?"

Twilight sighed as she turned away from him and headed towards the kitchen. "You have no idea…" Spike started to trail her, but stopped when she spoke again. "I'm going to make myself something to eat. Just… give me a few minutes to regain myself again and wake up."

Spike wanted to stay by her side into the kitchen and help prepare a meal for her, but the ringing of the doorbell opening stopped him from continuing. He eyed the kitchen entry with worried eyes, before turning around to help assist another customer.

For the next hour, Twilight remained in the kitchen while Spike dealt with the few ponies that entered the library. Just as he was waving off the last one, Twilight trotted out of the kitchen, a smile on her face and her general demeanor much friendlier. "Ah, that hit the spot. Got some dishes to do tonight, but Celestia did it make me feel better," she said.

"Dishes?" Spike groaned. _Like I need more work for my evening chores. How has she been able to eat so much lately?_

"Spike, I just wanted to say thank you so much for taking care of the library while I slept like a log."

"And when you stuffed your face," he added.

Twilight rolled her eyes, but was unable to contain her smirk. "Yes, and even when I was having breakfast. I just wanted you to know that I appreciate you and everything you do." Twilight moved over to Spike and wrapped a foreleg around in, pulling him close for a tight embrace.

"Awww, Twilight, you don't have to thank me. You know your number one assistant is always here to help."

"I know, but I just wanted to let you know."

A few moments passed between them before Spike coughed politely."So, where are you going this time while I watch the library?"

"You could tell?"

"I don't mind the compliment, but next time drop the prolonged hug when you don't want something."

"Sorry." Twilight pulled away from him and made for the door. "I'm just going over to Trail's to do a little more digging around. I have a spell I want to try that is supposedly helpful for finding hidden things. I figured there's a chance that there might be something else beneath the floorboards or in the walls that might be able to shed some light."

"Let me know if you need help. Oh, I almost forgot!" Spike dashed over to the table and swiped a scroll off its surface. "You got a letter from Princess Celestia!"

"A letter from the Princess? I mean, Celestia?"

"I haven't read it yet, but I bet it's about the report you filed with the guards. She's probably sending a whole platoon just to come over and watch you!" Spike exclaimed.

Twilight unrolled the scroll and scanned its contents. "Looks like she's sending an investigator over to help with the robbery."

Spike smirked as nodded his head with crossed arms. "And the a platoon of guards right?"

"Nope, just the investigator."

"What? Just a single investigator!? No guards, or unicorns mages, or other protection?"

"Nope."

Spike stared slack jaw at Twilight. "But you were attacked! By something you've never seen before! Twilight, this is serious!"

"Come on, Spike, it's not like I've never been beaten before," Twilight said nonchalantly as she floated the scroll back over the table and began to fetch her saddlebag.

"But your Princess Twilight! An ex-unicorn that knew more spells than any other unicorn! The unicorn that was probably on par with Star Swirl the Bearded! Who's also an alicorn now!"

Twilight sighed as she brought down the Corpus Nocte Morsu into her pack along with other books for possible references. "Spike, for one, I don't even come close to Star Swirl. Two, I don't even know what powers I'm supposed to get for being an alicorn. So far I'm still just using the same spells as I did before. I guess some of them might be a little more powerful, but Celestia told me it would take time before anything begins to show. Until then, I'm still same old me but with wings."

"But-but, you're a princess now! Doesn't a princess being attack mean anything?"

"Well… Princess Celestia may not know that I was… attacked," Twilight said as she closed her saddlebag.

Spike stared in disbelief at her, hoping like before he had heard wrong. "Uh, Twilight, you said you were attacked in the report… right?"

A embarrassed smile spread across her face before she quickly turned towards the door.

"Twilight… why didn't you mention it?" Spike asked quietly. "Don't you care that you could have been hurt?"

"Spike… If I had told the guards about the attack, they would have whisked me away to Canterlot and I would probably be stuck there under watch from Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. I wouldn't be able to figure this out on my own."

"But what if you get hurt? Is figuring this out is more important than what happens to you?"

Twilight sighed. "Why is everypony so concerned about my welfare now that I'm a princess? Nopony bothered to stop me before when I was just an Element Bearer. I _could_ face dangers without being coddled or being told I should leave it to others to deal with. That I didn't need to remain somewhere safe and out of harm's way. Spike, I…" Twilight turned away from the door and faced him.

"I can't just sit back and do nothing while others handle everything for me. Guards? Investigators? Royal advisors that insist on taking care of every little thing? How will I ever be capable of leading if I just get pushed away from every little problem that appears in front of me? Especially the big ones like this. I need to experience the world and face them on my own, or at least with my friends. Something I couldn't be doing if I told the guards everything…" Spike opened his mouth to speak, but Twilight continued, cutting him off. "Spike… as much I feel grateful of turning into alicorn, I sometimes hate it too..."

"What do you mean?" Spike asked. His scales were drooping now and he was fidgeting with his hands.

"Everypony has been treating me different ever since I got these wings. I know everypony from Ponyville has gotten better about it but… sometimes I just wish I could go back to being just a regular old unicorn. Maybe then I wouldn't get treated so differently…" Twilight lowered her head. The sound of scuffling feet and sudden grasp of small arms wrapping around her neck however, caught her by surprise, and she craned her neck back so she could look down at Spike.

"I'll never treat you different. You're Twilight, and you always will be. Just… please make sure you stay around so I can keep being there for you."

Twilight opened her mouth to say something, but thought others, and instead, pulled him closer. "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. No matter what, I'll still be the same Twilight," she sniffed as she finished. "Always."


	12. Chapter 12

Twilight walked out of the library and into the streets of Ponyville, her eyes focused on the ground in low spirits of her predicament that had yet to yield a clear solution.

 _I've read the book the book more than five times now, and I still haven't found out anything useful. What am I missing?_

At this point she knew all the charms, protections, and markings of a vampony by heart, most of it having been inline with traditional folklore, only causing her to be more skeptical about it all.

Despite having no lead to go off on now, she still held a fierce determination to figure it out, trusting that like all her problems, it just took dedication and resilience. But while her mind worked tirelessly for the crack in the proverbial wall that was stopping her, her heart felt heavy from the concerns of everypony else.

Though she felt comforted by her friends worrying over her, it felt like it was tearing herself into two pieces. One end was the safe knowledge that they would be there for her, ready to help when she needed it, and the other an inner voice telling her that she _could_ do it without dragging them in. There would be times as a princess where she wouldn't be able to turn to them, and would have to face things on her own now and then eventually.

 _But what if their only worried about me_ because _I am a princess?_ a sudden thought spoke.

Biting her lip, she began to imagine that them trying to do everything for her, in which turn due to her paranoia, spread out to what everypony else outside her friends would do as well. Memories of how Ponyville treated her when she first became a princess rang through her mind, digging up buried feelings of her uneasiness and even contempt for their behavior towards her. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she realized they were still behaving differently towards her.  
A sudden straightening of posture, a deep conversation put on pause to greet her and ask about her day, or the store clerk keeping an eye on her specifically while she browsed the store—eager to run over at any moment to assist if she even looked remotely confused when comparing two similar products.

While the attention had been nice at first, it had quickly become situations that Twilight began to dread.

It wasn't that she was unfamiliar to attention, for she some experience naturally from being an Element Bearer and Princess Celestia's protégée, both prestigious in their own right, but not so bothersome for Twilight. However, both paled in comparison to the popularity that came with becoming a princess.

 _Save the world a few times, you might get a discount on a train ticket. Become a princess, and book stores offer you so many free books that they might run out of business._ She almost paid double the price for a stack of books from a store in Canterlot to spite the offer of having them for free.

And if she found such reactions in both Ponyville and in Canterlot, the idea that everypony else in the world doing the same thing no matter where she was sent a queasy wave through her stomach. So far she had only been away from Ponyville a few times since becoming a princess, mostly on official business that required her presence, or upper class social gatherings held in her honor by the elite of pony society. And each time, she had been meet with the same greetings, responses, and behaviors, turning anticipation for such events into apprehension.

The growing fear of any social function caused so much worry that she felt that she never wanted to leave Ponyville again. Everypony here could at least remember her as the simple librarian sent from Canterlot; when she wasn't saving everypony from complete disaster that is. Nopony elsewhere would see her as avid book worm that would sometimes became a complete shut-in whenever a new book series or scientific journal came out, a lover of mint chocolate chip cookies, or just a simple mare that just likes to hang out in the sun with her friends. Nopony outside of her home would see her for who she was, and who she wanted to remain.

All of this, with the addition of the unnerving experience with the pony in the woods, rattled about her brain so much that she found it hard to focus on any one subject.

As if her mind wasn't already hazy enough, the blazing sun above was not helping her in the slightest. Twilight brought a hoof to her head as she squinted upwards. She wasn't sweating, but the heat was certainly getting to her. In fact, the day seemed so hot that she was half tempted to head back to the library to retrieve a sunhat and pair of sunglasses. But before she made up her mind on the matter, her attention was drifted towards a familiar pair of ponies she spied in the corner of her eye just down the street.

Some hundred feet away, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were crouched behind a building corner, their heads peeking around the edge; with Rainbow Dash hovering just a few feet above Pinkie Pie. They were looking in the opposite direction of Twilight, appearing as if waiting for something to happen. Following their gaze, Twilight spotted a cupcake sitting in the middle of the street, and the gears in her head clicked as to why they were so patiently watching it.

 _Those two are just dangerous when pranking together. I don't even want to know what they put into it this time._

Twilight briefly felt a twinge of sorrow for the poor pony that would happen across the seemingly delectable cupcake, but then gave a sly grin when an idea popped into her head as she watched the two of them; or rather more of an impulse.

The sight of the two ponies hiding behind the building, completely unaware of Twilight's presence, was simply too tempting for her to pass up. Deciding to have a bit of fun with the two pranksters, Twilight crouched down and snuck towards them. She rushed as much distance as she dared before slowing down in fear that they would hear her approach, her hoof steps becoming softer and quieter. Their heads remained by the building's corner, completely focused on the cupcake down the street, their bodies noticeable tensing up each time a potential victim walked by the treat.

 _Hehe, they haven't noticed me yet!_

The idea of catching the two of Ponyville's most notorious pranksters by surprise sent a large surge of excitement through Twilight. But despite the growing thrill, she slowed her breathing as much as she could while continuing to inch closer, her attention entirely focused on her targets. She was only dimly aware of the steady rise of her heartbeat.

Suddenly, Rainbow Dash pulled her head away from the corner and started talking to Pinkie Pie below her. "Maybe we should pick a different spot Pinkie, nopony here is biting." Twilight froze the moment she saw her move, remaining locked in a half step and crouched position. She was so intently focused on Rainbow Dash and the potentially to be discovered, the curious fact that she could hear her so easily from where she was didn't cross her mind.

"Just a bit longer, I'm pretty sure Mr. Gumdrop will take the bait. He comes out every day at one for a quick break. I just know he won't be able to resist it!" Pinkie Pie assured.

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow before shrugging and turning her attention back to the cupcake. "Remind me to ask you someday how you know everypony's schedule."

Pinkie Pie giggled as quietly as she could manage. "It's easy, you just have to pay attention to everything!"

Twilight waited until they were both entirely focused on the cupcake once more before moving again, her heart pounding at the prospect of almost being seen. If Rainbow Dash had only turned her head a few more inches, she would have easily spotted Twilight. The very idea that she had almost been caught by the ponies she was stalking sent another thrill of excitement through her. If they had seen her, she felt as if she would have attempted to leap onto them from where she was. She didn't understand why sneaking up on them was compelling or so much fun, but she didn't care. Right now, the only thing that mattered was getting as close as she could to the two of them, and pouncing. She was going to scare them in a way she had never done before, in a manner they would have never expected from her.

The rising excitement was so much that Twilight nearly threw all of her efforts away to jump at them right there and then.

But after managing to ease her muscles from performing the premature action, Twilight cautiously took the rest of the distance, and was left with only ten feet between her and her still unsuspecting friends. She had positioned herself a little ways behind Pinkie Pie, deciding to slink over directly behind and along the buildings side. Having gotten so close sent another surge of excitement through her again, causing her body to twitch side to side as she readied herself to jump at them.

 _I can't believe it! They haven't spotted me yet! They're just sitting there completely unaware how good I'm about to get them! This is so much fun! Why haven't I done something like this sooner?_

"Rainbow Dash?" Pinkie Pie suddenly asked.

"Yeah, Pinkie?"

"I'm getting a ticklish hoof and an shaky lip."

Twilight shifted about as a cat would when preparing to leap onto a completely open and vulnerable prey, her entire body loose and tense at the same time.

"What's that mean?" Rainbow Dash asked in half interest.

"Normally it means that I'm being stalked…"

Sensing the moment of surprise would pass soon, Twilight coiled her legs. _One… two… three!_ Twilight's pushed off the ground with all her might and leapt the remaining distance, landing directly behind Pinkie Pie while shouting at the top of her lungs. "RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Rainbow Dash and Pinkie pie screamed in unison, they jumped high into the sky, and somehow at equal heights. Rainbow Dash on instinct, grabbed Pinkie Pie before she could fall back towards the ground, both their faces holding a look of complete shock as they turned their heads Twilight below, beaming them the biggest smile she could muster.

T-Twilight!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

Twilight began giggling uncontrollably at a successful scare on the two, holding a hoof to her sides as she spoke between her laughs. "I- hahah! Got you two! Oh Celestia- hahah! Was that fun and just perfect! Y-you should see the look on your faces! Hahahah!"

Indeed Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie faces were completely stunned as their hearts slowly began to calm down inside their chests. Rainbow Dash was still getting over the surprise while Pinkie Pie on the other hoof, quickly changed from a scared and shocked demeanor into a silly grin of amusement. She joined in Twilight's laughter accompanied by a cute snort now and then. "Oh my gosh, Twilight! You really got us good! Haha! That was great! Wasn't it Dashie?"

Pinkie Pie twisted her head around to look at the still stunned pegasus. After few moments of being expected to answer, she snapped out of it and she began to lower themselves to the ground with a weak laugh. "Haha… yeah, that was a good one. Nice scare, Twi', but it's going to take more than that if you really want to catch me by surprise."

Twilight lifted an eyebrow with a knowing smile. "Really? Because by the looks of it I made you jump higher than Pinkie Pie did when she found out there was a cake festival."

"It's true!" Pinkie Pie chimed in.

"So what are you up to Twilight? Besides trying to jump us I mean…" Rainbow Dash quickly changed the topic, both her and Pinkie Pie on the ground near Twilight.

"Oh, I was just on my way to Trail's to see if I can find something. I just wanted to say hi to you girls on the way. I should probably be going now, this heat is becoming unbearable!" Twilight exclaimed before trotting off. Looking over her shoulder with a very satisfied smile she called back, "See you girls later!"

Pinkie Pie waved enthusiastically after Twilight while Rainbow Dash looked to the sky with a touch of concern. "What is she talking about? I worked my flank all week to get the weather this nice. It's not that hot… is it?" she asked turning to Pinkie Pie, who only a shrugged in return.

* * *

 _One day later..._

"Fluttershy, over here!" Rarity called out as she spotted her down the street. Fluttershy turned at the sound of her voice, and gave a small smile before trotting nimbly over.

"Hello, Rarity, you're looking well this evening," she said softly.

"Oh why thank you! Your mane is looking wonderfully groomed as well. I take it you were already on your way to Twilight's for the dinner tonight?"

"Yes I am. Did you come all this way to walk with me?" Fluttershy asked with high hopes. She normally was always one of the last ponies to arrive at any social function in hopes that it might be too full for her to still attend, but for something that was just her and her friends, she sometimes liked to be the first pony there; it was the only type of situations she felt comfortable enough to be left alone with the host before everypony else arrived.

"Yes I did, but not exactly for the reasons you're probably thinking," Rarity answered. "I wanted to get with the rest all of the girls before we head over to Twilight's. There are a few things I want to ask."

Fluttershy meekly nodded her head, curious as to why Rarity wanted to gather everypony up. But simply kept quiet, and followed behind her as they crossed town to wait at the street sections they knew the other girls would normally take when heading to the library. As they waited, the shadows of the houses became stretched as the continued to fall beyond the horizon, and one by one they caught each of their friends. Once they had all five of them, they were a block away from the library.

"I'm glad to have caught all of you here before we begin tonight's dinner," Rarity said happily.

"What's the deal Rare's?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Are we planning a surprise for Twilight?" Pinkie Pie asked excitedly.

"Sorry, darling, but no surprises tonight, at least not the kind you're expecting. I actually wanted to talk to you all about a serious matter regarding Twilight."

"Is this about the thing?" Applejack asked.

"Indeed it is," Rarity replied.

"Well, ah suppose it's better now than later. Ah'd be lying if ah didn't say that ah was worried myself about how she was dealing with it."

"Dealing with what? What's going on that we don't know about?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Let me ask all of you something first, dear," Rarity replied. "Have any of you noticed Twilight behaving, well… oddly lately?" With the exception of Applejack, the rest of them looked about as they ran over their recent days.

"Is this about how Twilight scared me and Pinkie? Because she totally didn't," Rainbow Dash said.

"Scare you?" Applejack asked. "When did that happen?"

"Like I said, she didn't scare me. But yesterday, she snuck up on Pinkie and me while we were doing a prank. I mean, it was a good attempt and all, but I guess I never really thought of Twilight being sneaky or playful like that. I didn't think much of it at the time though."

"Yeah, I'd never figure Twilight would be able set off my stalker combo," Pinkie Pie replied happily.

"Stalker you say?" Rarity asked aloud. "You mean to tell me Twilight _stalked_ you?"

"Uh… yes?" Rainbow Dash said. "I mean, she must have been quiet to have gotten close enough to scare us like that. Which she totally didn't!"

"Hmmmm," Rarity hummed before turning to timid pegasus. "And what about you, Fluttershy, have you seen Twilight act odd in anyway?"

"Oh um… not that I can think of…"

"Are you sure? It can be any little thing, anything at all," Rarity pressed as gently as she could, a reassuring tone in her voice.

Rubbing a hoof on her leg, Fluttershy lowered her head as she thought it over. "She's been acting normally as far as I can tell… nothing like scaring me or anything of the sort. She was nothing but sweet when she had visited me yesterday for a cup of tea after spending some time over at Trails. She was even concerned about one of the injured animals I was taking care of."

"Injured animal?" Rarity asked.

"Oh yes," Fluttershy beamed. "It was a sweet squirrel who had cut himself on a thorn bush while playing. Poor thing needed his bandages changed constantly until it could fully heal. Briar's Ink is a nasty plant that stops the wound from healing properly if not cleared frequently."

"And what did Twilight do?"

"She offered to help change the bandages. She was really concerned about the wound and the leaking blood. She stayed beside me the entire time until he had a fresh set of wrapping on his arm," Fluttershy replied happily. When she looked back up to and saw Rarity's face in set in deep thought and scrunched mouth, Fluttershy flattened her ears in worry. "I didn't say anything wrong did I?"

"No, dear. You just help add some details to an already mysterious puzzle," Rarity said.

"Oh, I just remembered something!" Pinkie Pie said with a jump.

"What it is Pinkie?"

"I saw Twilight later yesterday and I really wanted her to help on making some treats with me, but she got so angry that she snapped at me."

"Pinkie," Rainbow Dash sighed. "I think that's pretty normal even for Twilight. I hate to say it but you sometimes get really annoying when you ask us to bake stuff with you, especially when you ask us a question for every single thing in your cookbook. If we don't want to make the first fifty things you said, what makes you think we want to make the other hundreds of things you got?"

"I expect everypony to act like that," Pinkie Pie said sticking her tongue out to the pegasus playfully.

"Then why do you do it!?" Rainbow Dash asked in annoyance.

"That's myyyyyyyy little seeeeeecret!" Pinkie Pie sang. When Rainbow Dash face hoofed, Pinkie Pie continued, "But I don't mean Twilight snapped and yelled at me. I mean she literally _snapped_ at me."

"Ya mean she tried to bite you?" Applejack asked worriedly.

"Hmhmm! Teeth and all!"

"Oh my, this may be worse than I thought," Rarity said while sharing a concerned look with Applejack. "Well onto my next question, I suppose. Which one of you has not heard about Twilight being attacked a few nights ago from a burglar?" The sudden shocked faces of Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and a gasp from Fluttershy answered her question.

* * *

"Oh my gosh! So Twilight's a vampony now?" Pinkie Pie asked enthusiastically. "That explains that Pinkie Sense a few nights ago!"

"We don't know fer sure yet," Applejack answered, not even spending a moment to balk at Pinkie Pie. "Celestia knows even ah'm having a hard time buying it, but we've faced stranger things before that were supposed ta be only the stuff of legends. Everything just seems to be adding up ta the fact Twalight might be a vampony. And what Pinkie Sense went off this time?"

"It was a new one. Scratchy lip, right hoof shake, and hair flattening."

"Yer hair went all flat?"

"Yeah, but that combo didn't feel good at all…" Pinkie Pie said suddenly sadder than she was a moment ago. "It was actually kinda scary…" The idea of a combo that bothered even Pinkie Pie worried the rest of them even more so than they already were.

"What I want to know is why she never told us this herself," Rainbow Dash said, hovering over the ground to vent her frustration.

"It seems she hasn't been telling a lot of ponies," Rarity answered. "She even skipped some details with me until I pressed them. Right now, I think it is safe to assume that Twilight is currently not reliable on recounting her issues on the matter. Which is why I convinced her to host a dinner with all of us tonight. I was hoping we could have an intervention of sorts and help her figure it out together."

"So it is a surprise?" Pinkie Pie asked with a hint of returned excitement.

"I… suppose you could count it as so…" Rarity slowly replied.

Pinkie Pie giggled at the thought. "I just love surprises! I don't care what kind they are as long as they aren't sad."

"Well, shall we get this show going?" Applejack interrupted.

"Let's," Rarity agreed.

The five of them walked the short distance between the end of the street and the Golden Oak's Library, arriving at the front door in only a minute. Coincidentally, the last rays of sunlight dipped past the horizon, leaving the fiery red sky as the only source of light while shadows became darker and night encroached upon the town. With the reason for their visit fresh in their minds, each one briefly thought about the potential consequences of being in a house with a vampony at night, even if it was a friend.

Taking in a deep breath to still her nerves, Rarity lifted a hoof and knocked on the door twice. _Come on, Rarity, it's just Twilight. Don't let your superstition get a hold of you and run away with your mind._ The girls behind her shared similar thoughts while they waited for a response. A few moments passed before the pattering of tiny feet were heard approaching the door, followed by it being pulled wide open and basking them in the indoor lights of the tree house.

"You're all here!" Spike exclaimed, looking happier than normal at their appearance. "Come on in, Twilight is almost done with dinner."

They entered the library and stood at the entrance, a slight hesitation building inside them. "Hey girls! Make yourself at home, I'll be out in a minute!" Twilight's called out from the kitchen.

"Thank you, darling! We'll just be at the table," Rarity replied, looking back to share a nodding glance with the others to reassure them, wondering herself on how they were going to tackle the issue tonight with the alicorn. The five of them headed to the table, Spike walking just ahead to pull out a chair for Rarity. "Why thank you, Spike," she said sweetly.

"No problem," he replied happily.

Rarity gave him small nod, then waited for him to seat himself or head back into the kitchen. When he hadn't moved and instead brought a claw to the back of his head, Rarity asked, "Spike, is everything okay?"

Spike raised his hands and waved them up and down in a gesture to speak softer. Leaning towards the table he whispered to them, turning his head back to the kitchen. "Keep your voices down." The girls exchanged brief glances with each other before leaning forwards as well, all their heads near the center of the table. "Twilight's been acting weird lately and I don't know what to do. I was hoping one of you might know something about what's going on."

"We're all caught up to speed, I think," Rarity said in a low hush. "We know Twilight was attacked in the forest and that there is a possibility she, as impossible as it sounds, may be becoming a vampony." The look on Spike's face changed to relief as she confirmed his concerns. "I'm assuming you've noticed some things as well?"

"Are you kidding?" Spike hissed. "She's been harassing me nonstop! She's gotten so quiet walking around that I never know where she is. I don't know how many times she's scared me half to death for the fun of it. She's way more energetic in the evening than usual, and I'm pretty sure her hearing has gotten better."

"Her hearing?" Applejack whispered. Spike nodded once in reply. "How in Equestria did ya figure that out?"

"Applejack, ask in a normal voice if Twilight can get some lemon for your water," Spike said.

The farm pony scrunched her nose as she harshly whispered, "As if ah would ever dare."

"So what, just ask if we can have some lemon in my water?" Rainbow Dash asked aloud, forgetting to keep her voice down.

"No problem, Rainbow, I'll get it for you," Twilight's voiced called from the kitchen.

The five ponies stiffened their backs at the response. There was no way a normal pony should have been able to hear Rainbow Dash clearly from across the room, let alone from all the way in the kitchen. "See?" Spike whispered, giving each of them a knowing yet troubled look.

"Alright, here's dinner!" Twilight said cheerfully as she walked out of the kitchen, plates of salads, fruits, veggies, and glasses of water wrapped in purple magic behind her. The girls quickly sat back in their chairs as if nothing was happening between the six of them, Spike moving to his own chair and scooting himself close to the table. As Twilight approached them the series of plates floated around her and onto the table, filling every inch of the wooden surface. "And here's your lemon water, Rainbow."

Twilight floated the single glass that contained a lemon in front of Rainbow Dash while the rest of the glasses went to the other girls and Spike. "Uh gee… thanks, Twilight," Rainbow Dash said with a forced smile.

"I know I can eat some ponies under the table during contests, "Applejack spoke up. "But isn't this a little much?" She eyed the large amount of food before her; all of it looking delicious but wondering on they were supposed to eat it all.

"It's not that much is it?" Twilight asked. "I mean, I was practically starving so I figured you girls must have been hungry too… which I guess is kinda silly of me to assume…"

"It's… lovely dear, really it is," Rarity said in attempts pick her mood back up. "We'll… just have to wrap some of it for home and have a meal for tomorrow."

"Alright," Twilight replied smiling, her sadden demeanor vanishing instantly. Pulling a chair out for herself, she folded a napkin on to her lap and grinned to her friends around her. "Let's dig in!"

"Dig in!" Pinkie Pie echoed happily.

The rest of them hesitated before joining Pinkie Pie and Twilight on the meal, deciding to take the evening slow on confronting Twilight. They spent the next better part of the hour eating food and talking about frivolous or mundane things, keeping the conversation to simple things that wouldn't reveal the true topic they wished to discuss. The dinner was delicious and neither of them wanted to skip such a lovely meal. Applejack tried to go toe to toe with Twilight on a bowl of celery after both of them knocked back a few plates of cucumbers, but was unable to keep up with her new ravenous appetite. Her hunger was immediately noticeable to them all, each one thinking the same thought as the reason for why she was eating so much.

 _At least it's veggies and not blood,_ Rainbow Dash was unable to help herself but think.

In truth, they didn't know how they would exactly begin the serious conversation. It was Twilight after all, and while they didn't think she would attack them out of the blue for bringing it up, it was hard to not look at her differently from their runaway thoughts. All except for Pinkie Pie, who couldn't get the image of Twilight baring a set of fake vampony teeth with a billowing cape behind her, poised over and ready to strike a platter of red cupcakes. _I vant to suck your frosting! Hehehe._

Eventually, the meal concluded, not a single leaf of lettuce or uneaten fruit left on the table. As hard as it still was to believe, they had watched Twilight devour most of the nights meal feverously, Rarity holding herself back from commenting more than a few times on Twilight's eating manners. "Ah, that was good," Twilight said with a satisfied grin. "Did you all like it?" She was met with series of quickly nodding heads and half muttered yes's. "That's good." Letting out a happy sigh, Twilight looked across the table full of empty plates and bowls before sitting up in alarm. "Oh no! We ate all of it! I'm sorry girls, I meant to leave some for you to take home!"

 _Ah wouldn't say 'we' as much as 'you'..._ Applejack thought, looking at the cores that were the remains of a pile of apples.

Rarity was the first to speak. "It's alright, darling, it was a delicious meal."

"Still… I feel bad…" Twilight said softly.

"It's quite alright, how about we do something else after putting the dishes away?" Rarity subtly suggested.

Twilight instantly perked up at the idea of continuing the evening with her friends, half expecting all of them to have said their goodbyes and leave after dinner. "Really? You girls want to do something? I mean it's not that late… well it is, but okay! I'm ready for anything!"

"Sure!" Pinkie Pie chipped in. "We can play games, or tell stories! Or play story games!"

"Games! We should play a game!" Twilight replied, placing her front hooves on the table as she lifted herself up in excitement. "We could go outside and play tag! I haven't played something like that in years! What do you think? Sound fun?" A large grin was plastered on her face at awaiting for an agreed approval of such an activity from the rest of the table. "Come on, Rainbow, I bet I could even beat you! I'm feeling lucky tonight!"

The image of a toothy Twilight pouncing onto Rainbow Dash, biting her neck and smiling gleefully as she drained her blood flashed across Rainbow's mind. "Uh… maybe we shouldn't do something outside… where it's dark…" she said while avoiding her with her eyes. "F-Fluttershy would be too scared, right?"

"Oh um," Fluttershy replied, almost lowering her entire body beneath the table. "I uh… would prefer to stay inside… if that's okay…"

"Oh, okay," Twilight said simply, lowering herself back into her seat. "Well, what do you girls want to do?"

"I think… we should have a talk," Rarity said, deciding to get to the point.

"About what?"

"Well… truthfully…" Rarity began, trying to figure out the rights words to say the matter as delicately as possible.

After a few moments passed with nopony speaking, Pinkie Pie cheerfully said at the end of the table, "Lets talk about you being a vampony!"

Two face hooves along with a face claw, a defeated yet eloquent sigh, and a soft meep was heard across the table. Twilight opened her mouth in shock, but slowly lowered herself back into her chair, her face becoming dejected at such a serious topic being brought up instead of something else that may have been more lighthearted and fun. With the rest of the table silent at her statement, Pinkie Pie threw her hooves up into the air.

"Surprise!"


	13. Chapter 13

"All of you came over… to talk about me being a… a…" Twilight began but was unable to finish. Her friends averting eyes confirmed what Pinkie Pie had said was true. Twilight felt a sorrowful swell in her chest at the realization that her friends had come over for dinner on false pretenses, not actually wanting to spend time with her, but instead talk about her potentially being a monster.

 _No, that's not true. Calm down, Twilight, you know your friends. They're just concerned, is all,_ she internally argued. Taking a deep breath to quell the rising emotion inside her, she sat back against her chair, suddenly looking very tired. Taking a few moments to gather herself, she finished her question. "So you all came over to talk to me about being a vampony…"

They all slowly nodded their heads, preferring to take the conversation as cautiously as possible. They had not missed Twilight flashing them a mixture look of sorrow and confusion, the kind of face one would see if they had tricked a young filly into believing something and only to tell them later it was a lie. Seeing her behave so emotionally differently throughout the evening put them all on edge, none of them entirely sure just how stable she was.

"Twalight…" Applejack said first. "We're just worried about you. Try not to… well, take anything in the wrong light."

Twilight put on a weak smile before replying, "It's okay, Applejack, and everypony. I know how odd I must have been acting lately. I've been so caught up with everything that I have even lost focused on what I am supposed to be doing. Instead I've been goofing off like a silly filly…"

"Twilight," Rarity said immediately. "We understand that whatever is happening to you is a lot to handle, and as much as I shouldn't have to tell you this, we are here to help you. We care about you and your well being immensely. You don't have to confront this all on your own, right girls?"

Resounding 'Hmhmms' and 'That's right' were heard across the table, each one giving Twilight the biggest and most reassuring smiles they could. Spike had even scooted his chair closer and put a claw on her hoof, gently grasping it for her comfort. "You would think you would have learned about not doing things by yourself by now."

Twilight felt a tear build in her eye as she gasped softly, suppressing the sudden urge to cry. _Keep it together, girl,_ she told herself. "T-thank you all… I don't know how many times I've said it, or how many times I'll say it again. But I don't know what I would do without all of you."

None of them said anything. None of them needed to. They simply waited patiently for Twilight to collect herself, and give her warm reassuring smiles during.

After wiping away a bit of wetness that had managed to build around her eyes, Twilight brought a hoof to her chest. Taking in a deep breath, she exhaled while extending her hoof out, feeling better instantly on completion of the ritual. "Okay, I'm alright now." The idea of asking again if the girls really didn't want to go outside to play a round of tag instead of talking about something so serious crossed her mind, but she mentally told herself this was important and needed to be addressed. _There's time for something fun later. At least there better be,_ she thought. "So… where should we start?"

"Were all caught up to speed as of yesterday," Rarity said. "Perhaps you should tell us what you have learned reading that book you found, and anything else you might have come across at Trails. Did you happen to find anything when you went back?"

Twilight nodded her head in reply. "Yes, I managed to find a personal journal of Trails, stashed away under a floorboard in his bedroom. It held an assortment of maps, charts, and a variety of numbers regarding something that I can't discern yet. Most of it is gibberish to me until I can learn as to what it pertains to, but I was able to find a few things in his logs."

"What did they say," Rarity spoke with intrigue.

"Some of the information in the passages were already covered in the Corpus Nocte Morsu, but I did find one piece of information that is… well, is good news and bad news."

"What's the good news!?" Pinkie Pie asked cheerfully.

"The good news is that I'm not a vampony, I'm actually what is called a _Thrall_."

"A thrall?" Rainbow Dash asked. "What the hay is that?"

"Well, a thrall is a pony who has been bitten by a full vampony," Twilight explained. "In a short, they are the beginning stages of vampirism. They… could be considered like a kitten growing into a cat."

"Kitty Twilight!" Pinkie Pie said throwing her arms up. "Oh my gosh that would be so cute! You covered in whiskers with a teeny nose and UUUUUUAAAAHHHHHH!" Pinkie Pie said at the newest idea. "Little kitty ears!"

"Pinkie… I'm not something cute for you to adore over," Twilight said, her voice becoming low as she narrowed her eyes towards her.

The glare Pinkie Pie received from Twilight made her sit back in her seat, remaining quiet on any other cute imagery she had thought of expressing verbally. The atmosphere felt tense as the rest of the ponies watched the intimidated but now silenced pony. A few moments passed before Spike coughed to break the mood. "So, you're a… a developing vampony?" he said carefully.

"It looks like it," Twilight said, her mood immediately changing back to the astute and logical pony they all knew. A few of them wondering if Twilight had even known how she had stared at Pinkie Pie.

"Um… it sounds like to me… if you don't mind me saying that is," Fluttershy piped up. "You're developing the instincts of a predator… I think…" When everypony looked at her, she scooted herself about her chair nervously. "Well, please don't get mad… but I would say… a kitten _is_ a good comparison. They start off playful and energetic, often practicing their hunting skills in a friendly manner. They do this so they can become better hunters when they grow up. I think that… what you have been doing is something similar to that."

Twilight was initially taken aback from the comparison, finding that it hit true more than she first thought. Looking down in thought, she mentally ran over everything she had done the last few days, realizing that there would most likely be behavior changes with her situation, but not to the extent everypony was telling her about she was apparently unaware of. "Actually… that does make sense," she finally said. "I didn't even notice but, I fit those descriptions pretty well. Wow, that's really weird and _unnerving_ to say the least. I guess I just got so caught up in the moment that I didn't think the things I was doing as being not normal."

"Something else that's related that I wanted to bring to attention dear," Rarity said. "I don't know if I can put this delicately, but you have been a tad… moodier lately."

"Excuse me?" Twilight said with her wings extending, the previous edge to her voice returning. She glared at Rarity, ready to verbally attack her for even saying such a thing. But before she could release an assault, she snapped to, blinking her eyes as if to clear a haze. Slowly she sat back into her chair, her wings drooping at the realization of what she had been about to do; a guilty look crossed her face. "I'm sorry, and you're right, I have been getting a little more emotional lately. It's one of the perks of being a thrall," Twilight said sarcastically. "My guess is that because thralls go through such a large change, physically and mentally to prepare for predator like traits, that their emotional states become very unstable."

Twilight looked up to each of as she spoke sorrowfully, "I'm sorry for how I have been treating some of you. It's becoming harder to notice when I do…"

"It's okay, Twilight," Pinkie Pie said, her cheerful tone having returned. "You can never say something that'll hurt me too much. I know you can't help it so well just have to be a little patient with you!" Pinkie Pie's returned mood along with how confidently she spoke—so casual and not a hint of worry in her voice—made Twilight's lip quiver slightly; she had to hold herself back again from letting out a few tears at how understanding and helpful her friends were being so far.

"Ah don't mean to interrupt, but what's the bad news?" Applejack asked.

Taking another moment to breath and exhale, Twilight let her head drift downward as she spoke the words she was afraid of. "The bad news… is that eventually, I will turn into a full vampony. And there's no mention of anything that can stop it..."

Each pony went silent once again as Twilight's words seem to hang in the air, the weight of them taking time to settle into each of their brains. None of them were quite sure what to say at such a statement, or were able to come up with comforting words for Twilight and her apparent sealed fate. When neither of them moved or said anything for some time, Twilight decided to break the ice. "I'm going to take the dishes in…"

With her horn glowing Twilight head into the kitchen, all the dishware from the table in tow floating behind her. Once the noise of the sink faucet being turned on was heard, the girls and Spike quickly began conversing amongst themselves. "Oh dear, this is more serious than a thought," Rarity confessed.

"There has to be something we can do to help her," Spike pleaded.

"There is, ah just know there is. But what the hay are we gonna do?" Applejack said. "How do we get Twalight turned back to normal?"

"Duh, isn't it obvious?" Rainbow Dash replied. When nopony spoke right away, she shrugged her shoulders and leaned far back into her chair. "We use the Elements of Harmony, no sweat."

"That's a great idea!" Twilight shouted from the kitchen. In only a few heartbeats she was already back inside the main room with the dining table, her horn glowing as she grabbed the Elements of Harmony from their glass case at the other end of the room. When she turned around she noticed the stunned look of everypony. Twilight rolled her eyes as she replied simply, "Better hearing remember? But anyways, why didn't I think of this before!? We should have just done this from the beginning!"

"Let's not waste any more time then," Applejack said.

Twilight floated each Element to their respective pony, a hopeful smile on her face at the thought of being able to rid herself of being a thrall. Once each one was locked in, they gathered together in the middle of the room, standing in a circle in their usual positions. Closing their eyes, they mentally prepared themselves for the oncoming magic that would wash over them.

Looking inward, they each drew upon their Element and allowed the sensation to fill them from head to tail, the warm and tingling magic leaving a rush that they could never become used to no matter how many times they used them. It wasn't long before they pulled away from the floor, lifted up from the amount of magical energy gathering within themselves. Rainbow colored arcs of energy poured out from their necklaces, twisting and turning as they meet the adjacent bearer, eventually completing a full and complete circle. Twilight's eyes opened, her red and purple irises now a shining pure white as the magic was channeled into her body, ready to be cast upon anything that presented a danger to her, her friends, and Equestria.

 _Please, cure me,_ Twilight thought; willing the magic to purify her body. Before the magic released inside of Twilight, something occurred that she had not experienced before when wielding the Elements of Harmony.

Her eyes slowly passed over the floating forms of her friends, seeing past them their bodies and into the tiny orbs nestled in their chests that drew Twilight's attention. She could see streams of energy pouring out from them, up their body into the necklace, and out across the connecting rainbow of magic. Each sphere was a different color, matching a single color in the streaming rainbow. _They're the same colors… the Elements of Harmony aren't rainbow colored to begin with, they get it from the colors of those orbs!_

Before Twilight could dwell on this new information, she felt the surge of energy cascade through her body, unable to contain itself any longer. She threw back her head and willed the Element's to do their work, like so many times before. A low hum quickly rose as the crescendo of building power, a bright light beginning to envelop them and cast blinding rays through the tree house's windows. It continued to gathering energy until it would release it and cast forth all its might and then … nothing. The magic simply fizzled out as each one fell onto the wooden floor with a solid thump.

Blinking their eyes, the ponies shook off the residual effects of using the artifacts; their vision hazy as the powerful magic slowly diminished in their bodies. "Twilight!" Spike said as he rushed to her side, having stood a respectful distance from them while they activated the Elements of Harmony. "How are you feeling, are you back to normal?" Spike rested a claw on her shoulder while she regained her senses, shaking her head side to side as she came to.

Fluttering her eyes open, Twilight looked towards Spike and asked desperately, already well aware of the likely answer. "Well? How do I look? Are my eyes back to normal?" Spike's already worried expression worsened as his ear fins dropped on making eye contact with Twilight, his response confirming the worst. "Oh no," she whispered. Hopping onto her hooves, she rushed to the closest mirror. "No no no no no no no!"

Peering closer, Twilight spread open one eye with her hooves and stared at herself, a single purple iris with a tinge of red on the centers returning her gaze. "It didn't work…" was all she could mumble, falling backwards and ending up sitting on the ground with her head staring forward. "It didn't work…" she repeated. "Why didn't it work? It was supposed to work… why didn't..."

"Twalight?" Applejack asked once she was on her hooves, a single hoof on her temples as she steadied herself. When she did not respond at first Applejack moved towards her and rested her raised hoof on her shoulder. "It's alright, Twalight, we'll find a way to get you back to normal. We'll figure something out." In reply, Twilight's body began quivering as a muffled gasps in between heavy breaths was heard. Applejack immediately became even more concerned than she already was, and began gently tugging on her shoulder to have her turn around. "Twalight?"

Twilight started to visibly shake and the distinct sound of sobbing was heard. Slowly she turned around to face the farm pony, revealing a stream of tears running down her face as her mouth was open, sucking in air between each sob. "A-Applejack… I'm… r-really scared…" Twilight stuttered in-between her choked tears, unable to hold herself back any longer from crying.

Applejack without pause pulled Twilight into her arms, letting the her sink her head into her chest as the tears began to flow freely from her eyes. Twilight's muffled but loud wail was heard as she poured everything she had in her to uncontrollable crying. The rest of the girls remained motionless only for a moment to take the sight in, watching in disbelief that the Twilight they had come to know well was crying so hard, before they too silently came over and wrapped themselves around Twilight in a large embrace, each one resting a hoof on Twilight, letting her know that they were all there.

Twilight bawled louder than she had ever before, letting out all the stress, worries, anxiety, and fear that had accumulated over the past few days. Some of it might have also been due for some time now, the stress of being a princess something she never relieved herself of in the notion she was supposed to keep everything together like a princess should. But right now, she didn't care if she was crying because it was all becoming too much for her, or if it was being a thrall that was tossing her emotional states into limbo. The only thing that mattered now, was letting out all pain and sadness inside her chest with large tears and wailful crying, and the warm embrace of her friends around her; who held her in reassuring comfort as her body shook uncontrollably, not a care in the world on how messy their coats might become at her weeping.

They held her in their group hug with her in the center for the rest of the night, for as long as it took for their pained friend to let out everything; remaining by her side throughout her dire moment of need.

* * *

"They're all gone now, Twilight," Spike said once he reached the top of the stairs. It was late in the night, dinner put away, lights were off, and everypony ready for bed save one. The girls had remained with Twilight in their protective hug until she had eventually cried herself dry, feeling like she had no water left in her body. Her eyes were even redder afterward and her nose stuffy. She looked like a horrible mess and felt like crying again after she had seen what she had done to their coats during her bawling, mainly Applejack. But they told her to not worry about it and said it was alright. Rarity said she could even repay them back by treating them to a spa day after this whole ordeal was done with, a perfect way for them to put the dreadfulness of everything behind them.

They agreed they would first get a good nights rest before continuing in the morning, ready to tackle the issue head on. They managed to convince Twilight that now might be a good time to finally clue in Princess Celestia to the situation. Twilight had refused at first, but the direness of the situation and the convincing of her friends won out in the end. First thing in the morning, they would write to Celestia about Twilight's condition and see if she had any knowledge on curing her- perhaps some long forgotten spell or knowledge stashed away in a dusty library shelf only the Royal Princess's knew of.

Twilight shifted underneath the covers of her blanket, already well aware they had left from being able to hear them when they walked out the door. "Thanks, Spike…" she said softly.

Spike fidgeted with his claws. "Is… is there anything else I can help with?"

Twilight slid her way out of the covers and looked at Spike standing at the top of the stairwell, staring at her with large and sad eyes. Seeing him act so worried brought a smile to her face, thankful she would always have him as a friend as well. Watching him behave like that gave her an idea on how he could help, something that the two of them had not done in a very long time. "Actually… would you mind sleeping with me tonight? I… I want somepony close by…"

Spike's face grew a small smile as he nodded his head and ran over to the bed, hopping up in one leap. Growing up, Spike had slept next to Twilight a lot, being her best and only friend in the world while the young filly studied her way through magic school. He was her comforting stuffed animal and reassuring friend during the hard times as she grew up. It was actually mostly Spike that had wanted to get his own bed and sleep by himself, wanting his own personal space as he grew older. But he was more than willing to give up his bed for tonight. Right now his closest friend needed him, and he was more than happy to oblige.

After tucking himself under the covers and Twilight wrapping a hoof around him to pull his body closer, she let out a soft sigh and whispered, "Thanks... I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have you or the girls."

"Don't worry about it, Twilight," Spike said over his shoulder. "We'll always be here, you can count on us to get through something like this."

"…Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

Twilight and Spike performed last minute shuffling to get their heads just right on the pillows, finally settled in and ready to go to sleep. Twilight closed her eyes as she slowly began to drift off into sleep, running over the wonderful feelings her friends brought her, creating a feeling of hope in her that somehow, someway, they would figure how to get her out of this situation. And she would go back to being a normal alicorn, not needing to worry about vamponies at all. She let such thoughts pass through her mind as her eyelids closed, before a loud resounding noise echoed throughout the tree house.

 _*Knock Knock*_

 _If this is Rainbow Dash's sick idea of getting back at me for scaring her, Celestia help me, she will be the first pony I bite if I become a vampony,_ Twilight thought darkly. "Ugh… I'll get it, Spike." Twilight grumpily removed herself from the warm bed and moved down the stairs, telling herself along the way she wasn't allowed to maim anypony yet.

 _*Knock Knock*_

"I'm coming! Hold your saddle!" Twilight yelled as she approached the door. Flicking on the light, she magically grasped the door and swung it open. "This had better be good to be pulling me out of bed this late of night, what in Equestria do you-" Twilight said but stopped immediately at recognition of the pony standing on her doorstep. "Trail!"

"Ah, hello Twilight," he said, a look of embarrassment at disturbing her. "Sorry to bother you this late at night, but I was wondering if you happened to notice the hole in my study room. You see, I had something stashed away there and… oh dear… you're eyes have a tinge of red."

Twilight stared blankly at the stallion, her mind forming a couple hundred questions on the spot to ask him.

Trail brought a hoof behind his head as he laughed weakly before continuing. "Well, seeing that you appear to have been infected, I suppose I should start explaining things now."


	14. Chapter 14

Trail brought a hoof behind his head and gave a weak laugh. "Well, seeing that you appear to have been infected, I suppose I should start explaining things now."

"Twilight, who is it?" Spike called from atop the stairs.

"It's Trail," Twilight replied without taking her eyes off of him, still in disbelief that he was actually standing on her doorstep.

"Trail!?" Spike shouted before running down the steps and rushing to her side. "It is! You're back!"

"Ah, Spike! Good to see you as well," Trail replied cheerfully.

"You have no idea how happy we are-"

"Where have you been?" Twilight said with a low tone, cutting off Spike.

Her voice caused Trail to stiffen, and he cautiously turned his head towards her. Twilight was expecting some sort of apology, some form of grievance for all the heartache and troubles that had been plaguing her since his absence. But what she got instead, was the carefree smile he always wore.

"Oh, I was just away on some important business."

Twilight's eyebrows twitched at what he said. "More... Important... THAN THIS!?" Twilight growled between gritted teeth. "Do you have any idea what I have been going through? What I have been turning _into_?" With each word that she spat at him, the louder her voice grow, and the closer she moved towards him. "And you have the gall to tell me that whatever it was you were doing, it was more important... than what has been happening to _ME_!?"

The air became deathly quiet as Twilight stood on the tip of her hooves and staring down at Trail, glaring at him furiously for his reply. A few house lights down the street flickered on, curiosity filling the inhabitants on who was causing such a ruckus. Spike felt like biting the ends of his claws were he not too terrified to move and draw her attention, her unwavering and unblinking attention she held for Trail that drowned out the rest of the world.

Her world however, snapped as she saw Trail give a slow but deliberate nod of his head.

Snarling, she threw a hoof at him, throwing all her strength into the blow. For her at that moment, she was convinced that he was to blame for everything that had happened, convinced that it was all his fault for even daring to have left her alone when he was fully aware of such a creature existing that could do this to her.

Bust as fast as Twilight swung with a strike that would have broken his jaw, Trail moved quicker.

Catching her hoof against his own, he held her forearm mid-strike. The hoof on hoof contact sent a loud echo throughout the night, more than she or Spike could believe be generated by a hoof-five. Twilight looked at him, then their hooves in disbelief, before sanity retook her. The muscles in her leg relaxed immediately as she withdrew her hoof and brought against her chest, staring at it as if she was worried it would move again on its own. Trail however, held his grin throughout the entire event, not flinching in the slightest.

"Woah…" Spike said in awe. Twilight had attacked so quick that everything had been a blur for him. At moment they were standing, then the next were touching their hooves together.

"I… I'm so sorry," Twilight breathed, taking a few steps back into the library. "I… I was just so angry and… my hoof… it was already moving before I knew it and-"

"Twilight," Trail interjected. He waited until she tore her gaze from her hoof and looked towards him. "You don't have to apologize. I was a little hot headed when I had first become a thrall as well. It's something that takes time to get used to, and the reason why I made it a habit to always smile like this."

"Wait… so you're a thrall as well?" Her voice was still shaky from the outburst, but she was quickly recollecting herself.

"That's right. It's not an easy thing to be either of which, I'm sure you have been figuring out."

Spike brought a claw to his chin. "So if you're a thrall... then what about all those times you fell down or bumped into things?"

"A good actor will go to great lengths to not appear as who they are," Trail said with a wink. "Discretion is best for a pony with my condition. If you can't already tell, I'm fairly far along the process. And from the looks of it, I'd guess that you're beginning to pull out from the initial stage." Trail's carefree smile then for the few times they had known him, drop into sorrowful demeanor. "I'm terribly sorry this has happened to you, Twilight. I never wanted another pony to suffer the same fate as I. It was foalish of me to ask you to watch over my home during my absence. My careless actions have dragged you into a world that you should have never seen…"

"Trail…"

But the sad tone in his voice did not last long, and was quickly replaced with his grin. "But after tonight, you and I will no longer have to worry about it anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"I found it, Twilight," he said quietly with excitement. "I found the key to my, and your, salvation." Turning his head to the saddlebag strapped onto him, the very one Twilight had seen him depart with what felt like months ago, he placed a hoof over a bulge that poked from the bag. "Inside… I found what I have been looking for ever since I arrived in Ponyville."

"Ponyville?" Twilight asked. "You mean… you moved to Ponyville, to find whatever is in _there_?"

"That's right," Trail he replied. "I've been searching for something like this ever since I became infected, it was only thanks to an informant of mine that I found out that it even existed, and was somewhere within the Everfree forest."

"The Everfree?" Spike asked, hanging onto every word that was being spoken between the two.

"Yes, I managed to find it in an ancient and abandoned tomb. I dare say that I was the first pony to step inside of it for what could have been ages. It might even be from the era when the Royal Sisters ruled together," he said with a touch of awe. But he paused before continuing, picking up his head instead and glancing about the area, having forgotten they were having such a serious discussion while still on the front steps to the library in the middle of the night. "If you don't mind, might we take this inside? I wouldn't want to chance a pair of ears listening to our conversation."

"You're not referring to…" Twilight said but found herself unable to finish.

To her relief and dismay, Trail confirmed her suspicions. "Yes. The pony who had attacked you, also happens to be the very one pursuing me."

"He's chasing you?" Spike asked eagerly, a sense of adventure filling him.

"Indeed he is," Trail replied wearily. "He is the one responsible for my transformation as well if you hadn't already guessed. I'll explain more once we're inside if that's alright."

"Uh yeah, I mean… yes, of course. Please come in," Twilight stammered together before stepping aside to make way for him. After he entered she couldn't help but peer warily out into the darkness, half expecting to see the shifting of a shadow withdraw from her gaze. Despite her suspicions, the streets around her house were utterly empty, seemingly devoid of any movement or life. Even the lights that had turned on had gone out now. But that did not convince her that meant there was nopony around, watching her from some unseen shadow or hiding place. With one last sweep, she closed the door and flipped the lock, then moved to join Trail and Spike who had gathered at the table and around the saddlebag resting atop it.

"Well then, what would you like to discuss first?" Trail asked. Pulling out a chair, he sat himself comfortably for what would be no doubt a long discussion.

"I want to know more about this artifact. What does it do?" Twilight asked immediately.

"Straight to the point eh?" Trail commented with a smirk. "That's alright. There will be plenty of time to talk about things later. We'll probably look back at it all like it was a bad dream hopefully." Placing a hoof near the bag, Trail answered, "This artifact, which was painstakingly difficult to get mind you, is something that can _reverse_ the vampirism inside of us."

"How in Equestria did you figure that out?" Twilight asked, her eyes drifting over the saddlebag in wonder if it could really do as he said. "I couldn't find anything in the Corpus Nocte Morsu that said it was reversible."

" _You_ have my book?" Trail replied astonishingly. "I was afraid both of them were taken when I saw the floor boards damaged."

"The book was actually a little ways from the hole," Spike chipped in. "I managed to see it when I stuck my head in. I think it was too far for the burglar to see so it got left behind."

Trails facial expression hesitated for a brief moment before looked downward, a weak smile mixed with relief spreading across his face. "That's good. I'm glad you were able to find it. Celestia knows what would have happened should my main source of knowledge have been taken."

" _Ahem_ … back to the artifact," Twilight pressed softly.

"Oh yes, of course. Like I said, this item is capable of sealing away the vampirism inside a pony, returning them to their original state."

"That's incredible," Twilight exclaimed, itching to open grab it from the bag and use it at once.

"Yes, but as good as the sound, there are some issues regarding its use."

"Such as?" Twilight said, her eyes having not left the saddlebag.

Eying her intent focus, Trail replied, "It requires a strong magician to cast the spell, a pony capable of powerful magic."

"Check," Spike said aloud with a smile. "Anything else?"

"Spike, we don't even know if I could activate it," Twilight replied, running through possible problems and solutions of using such an item.

"But you're the most powerful uni- I mean, alicorn out there!" Spike exclaimed.

"No, Princess _Celestia_ and _Luna_ , are the most powerful alicorns. For all we know they need to be the ones to activate it."

"Normally, Twilight, I would agree," Trail spoke. "But I believe you are sufficiently powerful enough to use it, and unfortunately, time is of the essence."

"How so?" she asked, pulling her gaze away from the bag and towards him.

"I fear you are drawing near to the end of the initial stage of your vampirism. Judging from your state from what I can tell, it won't be long until you proceed into the next stage."

Twilight gave Trail a questioning look, before she visibly shrunk and widened her eyes. "You don't mean…" She had hoped there would be more time, that what she had read in the Corpus Nocte Morsu wasn't true. But a knowing nod from Trail confirmed her fear. Twilight then slumped to the floor, and let her eyes stare ideally at some spot in the floor as if she was looking somewhere distant.

"What happens at after the beginning stage?" Spike asked worriedly, glancing back and forth between the two.

With an audible gulp, Twilight began to explain. "After the initial stage, the thrall enters the second and longest part of the transformation. The irises will become completely red, just like Trail's. In addition, increased strength, speed, and various other minor traits will develop, which are most apparent during the night. But what marks the transition between the stages is the… the…" Twilight tried to finish, but found she was unable to.

"The urge to feed," Trail finished for her calmly.

Spike's eyes widen as he took in the implication. "You don't mean…"

"Yes." He turned towards her, looking pitifully towards her as each word caused her to shiver. "Twilight will begin to crave blood."

"But you would never do that, Twilight!" Spike said as he rushed towards her. "I don't think you're capable of hurting another pony, even if it's because you're hungry!" But no matter how he might have smiled reassuringly to her, or gently shook her shoulder, she would not respond.

"Spike," Trail said softly. "It does not matter if she was the sweetest pony in Equestria. Once the urge begins, she _will_ feed. And she will kill a pony while doing it. She won't be able to control herself."

"K-kill?" Spike stuttered, taking his claw off of her in recoil, before tightening it into a fist and moving back to her side. "Twilight, I know you won't hurt anypony," he began again pleadingly, trying to get her to look him in the eyes. "If there's anypony who could resist this, it would be you!"

"There is only one option for Twilight now," Trail said cutting off Spike, well aware of the few tears beginning to form in his eyes. "You must use the item I found, and rid yourself of this curse before it makes you do something you will regret for the rest of your life."

Twilight lifted her head up, looking towards Trail with despair in her eyes, completely desperate for the potential promise he was speaking of. "You really think it will work before… I will…"

"Yes," he said confidently. "I believe it will. I know you are more than capable of using it. And the reason I suggest it is because we do not know how long it would take for either of the Royal Sisters to arrive. Even at their most hasten pace, I fear it may be too late. You could easily have killed a pony before then, or attack them yourself upon their arrival."

"How do you know?" Spike shouted. "How do you know that Twilight will kill another pony? You can't! She wouldn't do it!"

Though he tried to hide it, it was clear how sudden and how hard the severity of Twilight's condition was finally hitting him. Before it had been an uneasy worry with fun and unexpected moments. Now, it was the real thing, and he cursed himself for treating it differently this entire time.

"You were bit how many days ago, Twilight?" Trail asked.

"... Five…"

"I'm surprised you haven't done it already then, as it normally begins on the fourth day. Which means we cannot wait a moment longer." Trail turned to Spike who stared helplessly at Twilight. "Spike, I know how difficult this is for you, but you must be strong right now, for Twilight." Spike sniffled, then slowly turned his head to Trail who gave him a nod in return.

In understanding, Spike threw his arms around Twilight and held her close. "You're gonna be okay," he whispered. "I promise, I won't let anything bad happen to you."

A faint smile manage to squirm it's way onto Twilight's lips as a tear fell down and collided with Spike's. "I know you won't… I know…"

The two of them sat on the floor for some moments, before Spike gave a one last tight hug and then pulled away. Twilight cleared her face with a hoof, breathed outwards, and narrowed her eyes with determination. She stood herself back up and turned to Trail, all hints of hesitation or fear gone from her voice as she spoke, "Let's do it. Right here, right now."

Trail gave a small chuckle, before standing up from his chair.

"And on that night,  
Of decision most dire,  
The princess stood firm,  
Challenging the monster's desire."

There was a moment of silence at his sudden poetry before Spike asked, "Did you just make that up?"

"Indeed I did," he replied with a grin.

"Cool."

"Trail," Twilight said, grabbing the attention of the two with her stern voice. "Let's get this over with."

"As you wish, your highness," replied sarcastically.

"Please don't call me that."

Shrugging his shoulders, Trail turned back to the saddlebag and began fishing their an assortment of journals and papers. It wasn't long before he found what he was looking for, and he pulled out a golden chained necklace that held a brilliant diamond as the center piece that swung freely.

"That's it?" Twilight asked breathlessly, the air of confidence around her receding for a moment on sight of the object.

"Indeed it is."

"How do we do this?"

"First, you must wear the necklace. Then, activate the magic residing within it. In theory, it will pierce into your very being, extracting the vampirism inside and sealing it in the diamond. Supposedly, you will know it's working when the diamond turns into a brilliant red. Once that is complete, you will be purified of all of its traces, including returning your eyes to their normal color."

"Okay," Twilight said. "Which of us will go first?"

"You will."

"Are you sure?" Twilight asked, pulling her eyes away from the object.

Trail gave a kind smile before replying, "Twilight, I have already been living with this curse for a while now. I'm sure you have already pieced it together now, but I have already done things I have regretted. A few more minutes won't be the end of me. Right now, it is more important that you do not share my burden." Trail turned his head downward as he spoke with a forced smile, staring off into the distant past. "Trust me, you do not want the things I have done on your conscience."

Twilight and Spike stared at him wordlessly, images of what horrible things such a kind hearted stallion might have done. It was a tragic chapter of his life the two of them had never known, and wondered if it was the source for his constant happiness at all things small. "Okay…give it to me first then," Twilight said.

"I must warn you first. From what little I know, it will be very uncomfortable initially as it pries its way into you. It will not be successful unless you willingly let its magic in, otherwise its magic will end."

"Don't fight it, got it," she replied with another nod.

"And second," Trail said turning to Spike. "I highly recommend that you, Spike, move to another room."

"What? Why?" Spike whined.

Trail lifted the amulet as he explained, "This is powerful magic that we do not fully understand. The artifact is supposed to draw out the vampirism and store it inside itself, but we do not know if it will seek another vessel should one be nearby. I am already possessed so I should be safe from harm, but I will take no risks or chances of this curse spreading onto another. The nature of vampirism is a dark and wrathful one. You do not take it lightly or else it will corrupt or destroy you."

"Says the earth pony," Spike remarked.

"Hey! Just because I am not a unicorn, does not mean I can't read and be knowledgeable about magic," Trail replied in a huffy voice.

"We're wasting time arguing," Twilight snapped, interrupting the childish spat. "Spike, please go into the kitchen. I'm sorry but I agree with Trail. I don't want to risk you becoming infected if there is even a remote chance of it."

Spike looked to Twilight silently with begging eyes to be able to stay, to which she kept a hard stare at him before sigh and softening her features along with her voice. "Please, Spike, I don't want to risk you. You can be there for me the moment it's done okay? But during the process, please stay in the kitchen. I couldn't live with myself if you somehow became infected."

Spike opened his mouth to argue further, but decided against after seeing how Twilight looked at him, the plight her eyes all too visible. "Fine…" he said in defeat. "I'll be in the kitchen. Let me know as soon as you're done though okay?" Spike said with a claw point as he turned around.

"Of course, and thank you," Twilight said with a smile, the first one he had seen from her in hours.

He returned it willingly. "Good luck, Twilight." Walking out of the main room, Spike turned to Trail and asked in worry. "You will take care of her right?"

Trail gave him his usual grin. "I promise, Spike. Twilight will be safe under my care."

Returning the smile and feeling reassured that Trail would be there, Spike went into the kitchen, closing the door behind him. With a sigh he moved over to the counter and hopped onto a stool, trying to figure out what to do until Twilight and Trail called him back in. He sat there for a few minutes, his ears straining to hear anything from the adjacent room while he waited. He heard them talking for a bit, then Twilight's familiar twinkle of magic, followed by a gasp and some other indistinguishable noises. As much as he wanted to burst back into the main part of the library, Spike held himself in check atop the stool, promising himself if he did not hear something again in half an hour he would crack open the door and check on them.

Another minute passed as he swung his hanging feet idly, when the sudden urge to burp rose up within him. Expanding his cheeks at the familiar sensation, Spike belched emerald fire that materialized into a scroll. "A letter from Princess Celestia this late?" he asked aloud as he grabbed the falling parchment. Turning it over, he looked over the sealed insignia. "A letter from Princess Luna?

Turning his eyes back to the door, he contemplated using the scroll as an excuse to go back into the room. But he decided otherwise when remembering how Twilight looked at him, and how important it was what they were doing. _I don't want to mess it up, but when do we ever get a letter from Princess Luna?_

Turning his eyes back to the scroll, suspense filled him to do something during the tense moment of waiting. Tearing off the seal, he unrolled the scroll and began reading.

 _"Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle,_

 _Thy presence is requested in Canterlot tomorrow regarding concerning news. An old and dangerous artifact has been stolen from the Royal Vault, an item of power that holds only sorrow and false promises, and should ever remain locked away. The theft of such an item is most alarming to myself, and no doubt my sister when she wakes in the morn'. I believe this situation will be good practice for handling state affairs regarding dangerous items and weaponry, as well as benefiting from thine expertise in magic. I hope to see thee in Canterlot soon with swift haste and safe journey. I do apologize for how late in the night this letter arrives, but such is the time I perform my royal duties. May thou find pleasant dreams for the rest of the night._

 _Princess Luna"_

Spike looked at the letter with growing concern, wondering how powerful an artifact it must have been for the Princess Luna to have sent a letter, and what kind of pony would be even capable of stealing from Canterlot. However, before he could muse further on the fact, a piercing scream tore throughout the tree house.

Spike jumped at the sound, then stared dumbfounded at the door to the living room, taking a moment to understand what he had just heard. "Twilight?" he asked quietly. After a few heartbeats of silence, Spike shouted, "TWILIGHT!"

Hopping off the stool he ran for the door and swung it open, almost freezing at the sight of her body lying still on the floor. "TWILIGHT!" Running to her side, he began tugging on her shoulders gently. "What happened!? Is she alright? Did the amulet work?"

"She is alright. The amulet performed its purpose," Trail said calmly.

Spike gave a relieved smile as he wiped his eyes. "I'm so glad! She's going to be okay. How did it go? Where there any-" Spike asked as he began to turn, but stopped as the necklace caught his eye. Turning back, he saw it was still a brilliant white, not a hint of red inside it at all. Narrowing his eyes in confusion, Spike also thought he saw a flash of movement inside the diamond, then another.

Looking closer, he attempted to peer inside to see what it contained, before Trail spoke his name, much closer than from before. "Unfortunately, Spike, this is where I must take Twilight and part ways with you, and all of Ponyville for good."

Spike blinked at what Trail was saying, reluctantly pulling his attention from Twilight and the diamond. "What are you saying? What do you-" he said before pausing, taken aback at Trails close proximity to him. Trail's face was passive and unreadable, and he had his hoofed raised between him and Spike, of which Spike noticed a pile of gold power resting atop it.

"What I'm saying is goodbye," Trail simply said, and then blew the power onto Spike's face.

"Aaaaagh!" Spike shouted as he tried to wipe the powder off him, coughing at the pieces that managed to get into his mouth and down his throat. "What are yooouuuu… dooo… dooooinnngggg…" was all he was able to say before he fall backwards, blacking out before he even hit the floor.

* * *

Spike slowly awoke as the morning light hit his face, rousing him from a very deep sleep that he felt like he could remain in forever. He was having a wonderful dream, full of gems, damsels, Twilight making delicious meals from said gems, it was a life he wished he could remain asleep to relive over and over again. "Hmm… more Topaz Dust please…" he muttered as his mind kicked into gear painfully slow. He lay still for a few seconds more before popping his eyes wide open and jumping onto his feet. "TWILIGHT!"

Standing so quickly left a rush in his head, almost causing him to lose his balance. But he shook aside the grogginess that was more difficult than usual to get rid of. "TWILIGHT!" he called again, a claw on his head to steady himself as he wobbly walked across the room. Blinking the sleep from his eyes, he looked about in a panic, unable to spot where she he had seen her collapsed the night before.

"Oh no, TWILIGHT! Where are you!? Answer me!" Spike began to shout across the house, ignoring the shooting pain in his head at yelling so loudly. Even in a state of panic, he was still having a hard time bringing himself to be fully awake.

 ** _*Knock Knock*_**

"Spike?" a country accent called from the other side of the front door. "Is everything alright in there?"

"Applejack! H-help! Twilight's missing!"

That was all she and the rest of the girls needed to hear before they barged through the door and filled the living room. "SPIKE!" Rarity cried as she saw him nearly fall over. She rushed over and lent him a hoof to lean against. "Are you okay? You're not hurt are you? Where is Twilight?"

"I don't know! All I remember was her screaming last night!"

"Screaming!? What the hay happened!?" Rainbow Dash demanded. But before he could answer, she flared her nostrils and took off upstairs, intent on checking every inch of the house. The rest of the girls closed in on Spike to listen as he explained what had happened, giving him a some space breath.

"I got a letter from Princess Luna, something about a robbery in Canterlot. Then I heard Twilight screaming! And ran back into the living room to see what happened. Then I saw her on the floor not moving! And the amulet Trail had found still around her neck and-"

"Trail?" Applejack interrupted. "He was here last night?"

"Y-yeah, he said he found something that would remove the vampirism from him and Twilight. But when I ran up to her, he said something about him taking Twilight away from Ponyville for good! Then he blew some weird dust into my face and then… I don't remember anything after that!"

Applejack's anger showed immediately as she gritted her teeth. "I knew there was something off about that stallion! I knew it from the day I first saw him! And he was a vampony to!? That no good rotten…"

Rainbow Dash matched the farm pony's mood, her nostrils flaring in anger. "So Trail lied to us this whole time? What's the deal!? And why did he take Twilight!?" Her feathers were bristling with the building rage inside of her, and her wings cut through the air with more force with each stroke. "When I get my hooves on him he is going to pay! No one messes with my friends!"

Applejack whipped around and bolted towards the door, the look of determination plastered on her face. "Ah'm going to look for Twalight at Trail's house, then the clearing I found him at the other day if she's not there."

"I'm going to do a flyby around Ponyville. I'll spread out wider with each pass," Rainbow Dash said, following in suite.

Applejack merely nodded her head in response as the two rushed outside to begin the search. "Applejack! Rainbow Dash!" Rarity called after them, but they were either already too far away to have heard, or flat-out ignored her. Rarity's face scrunched up at the two girls leaving without even discussing a plan of action, having decided to head off without even a word to her or the rest of the girls.

But her scowl gave way at the sinking thought of Twilight was missing hit her again. As much as she wanted to scold them for just running off, she couldn't blame them for acting so when it was a friend on the line. "What we do…?" she asked aloud. "Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie," Rarity spoke while turning around. "Do either of you have any ideas for-"she paused in mid sentence at spotting Pinkie Pie sitting on the ground, her mane completely flat, and the faint sound of sniffling emanating from her. "Oh dear, Pinkie," Rarity said forlornly as she trotted over to the mare. "It'll be alright. We'll find Twilight soon, you'll see. Everything will be okay."

Pinkie Pie gave a gasp as she tried to speak, something she was finding very difficult to do from the tightness in her chest and being on the verge of bawling, her sniffling growing louder with each moment. "W-why… didn't I-I…" she tried to speak, catching herself in between words with gasps and sniffing.

"Why didn't you what, darling?" Rarity cooed as she rested a hoof on her shoulder, trying her calm her down.

"Wh-why didn't… my Peh-Pinkie Sense… know that… Twa-Twilight… WAS GOING TO BE TA-A-A-KEN!" Pinkie Pie cried loudly, tears flowing freely from her eyes as she latched onto Rarity.

Rarity was initially stunned at her sudden behavior, but returned the gesture by wrapping her hooves around Pinkie Pie, painfully aware of the tears run down her face and soaking into her coat; the second time in two days. "Don't blame yourself, Pinkie darling, it wasn't your fault!"

"YE-EH-EH-EH-ESSS IT ISSSSSSSS!" Pinkie Pie wailed dramatically. "MY PINKIE SENSE DIDN'T TELL ME AND I COULDN'T STOP TWILIGHT FROM BEING STOLEN FROM US!" she bawled as loudly as she could. Her distress worse than Rarity had ever seen or believed her capable of being, her breaths completely erratic as she continue to sob and her words becoming indistinguishable from her crying. Rarity wasn't sure if Pinkie Pie was still talking or if it was just gasps for air in-between her wails.

"There there, it's not your fault, Pinkie dear, it's not your fault," Rarity repeated as she slowly rocked the still clinging pony back and forth, stroking her flat mane with a hoof gently in a motherly fashion. She repeated the action over and over again until Pinkie Pie eventually got the worst of it out, but remained sobbing as she kept her muzzle buried into Rarity's coat, her shakes and cries still continuing but at a much quieter level. Rarity lifted her head to see what Spike and Fluttershy had been doing during the time it had taken her to calm Pinkie Pie down, hoping one of them were coming up with a plan of action.

Fluttershy was off to the side, her face clearly marked with tear stains; it looked as if she had just finished weeping herself and was now standing solemnly. Spike was on the other side of Rarity, simply staring at the ground where he had last seen Twilight, his scales dropped in a similar manner to Pinkie Pie's hair and Fluttershy's wings. Nopony else seemed to be in a position or mood to do anything, to caught up in the despair of the situation. _Come on, Rarity, think of something. You need to stand up, for them, for Twilight! Do something!_ She coerced herself, realizing somepony needed to take command of the situation, to get something done regarding Twilight's disappearance. As difficult as it was to even do something else besides wanting to become lost in the fact Twilight was missing along with them and share the pain, somepony needed to do something.

"F-Fluttershy," Rarity stuttered, snapping Fluttershy back to the present from wherever her mind had spiraled down. With a deep breath and exhale, Rarity forced herself to focus on the situation. "Fluttershy, I want you to go to your cottage. Speak to some of your animal friends if they had seen Twilight or Trail since last night."

"O-okay…" Fluttershy mumbled.

"Spike," Rarity said without skipping a beat.

"Huh?" he replied, also being brought out from somewhere else.

"Get a quill and parchment, were sending a letter to Celestia this very moment."

Spike remained motionless, his mind taking a moment to catch up to the fact Rarity had asked him to do something before nodding his head slowly. He shuffled to a nearby drawer and grabbed the items, bringing them to the table; so caught up in everything he hadn't even realized whatever had been affecting him when he woke up as gone. Once they were laid out he hopped up onto a stool and turned to her. "Wh…what do you want me to write?"

"Fluttershy, please go now while Spike and I write to the princess," Rarity said.

"Okay…" Fluttershy softly responded. Once Rarity saw her moving towards the door, she cleared her throat and spoke to Spike, her hoof still brushing Pinkie Pie's mane.

"Dear Princess Celestia,

I write to you now on a matter most urgent and dire. We believe Twilight to have been pony-napped and require your assistance immediately. Her whereabouts are unknown and we fear she might be in danger. We suspect that the pony named Midnight Trail who arrived in Ponyville a short time ago is responsible for her disappearance as Spike found Twilight unconscious after wearing an amulet he claimed to have found in the Everfree Forest. A necklace with a large diamond. Spike said that Trail had told him Twilight and him were departing Ponyville. Even more concerning is that we believe this may have something to do with, and mind you it may sound crazy, vamponies. No doubt you have read the report of the burglary at a house here in Ponyville, but what Twilight had for whatever reason failed to mention was that she was attacked that night, pursuing the robber, and becoming bitten by what we believe to have been a vampony. Please respond at once.

Rarity"

"Please… respond… at… once," Spike repeated as he scribbled the last sentence. "Got it."

"Send it now," Rarity said.

Spike had already begun rolling the letter when she asked, bathing it in emerald fire moments later. As they watched the sparkling dust swirl away, Spike turned to Rarity and said with a small grin, a tiny improvement to his sunken features. "You sure know how to take command of something."

Rarity looked down to Pinkie Pie to hide the bit of blush that grew on her cheeks. "Well, somepony has to do it. If Rainbow Dash or Applejack were here I'm sure they would have written to Princess Celestia sooner and with more detail."

"The letter was fine, I don't think anypony would have been more qualified or level headed right now as you are being," Spike said. Rarity only smiled a little more at the compliment. Seconds later, Spike's cheeks puffed out before he burped flames, a scroll appearing from the ashes.

"Thank goodness she responded so quickly," Rarity remarked. "What did she say?"

Spike quickly unfurled the scroll and began speaking its message aloud. "I am dispatching a contingent of guards immediately. They, myself, and Princess Luna will be in Ponyville within the hour. Signed, Princess Celestia," he finished. Rarity gave a small sigh of relief at the Princess's hastiness, confident they would do everything within their power to return Twilight as soon as possible. "What do we do now?" Spike asked?

"Now, dear, we simply wait. The Princess's will know what to do. Twilight will be back before we know it with their help," she said in a matter of fact tone. But as much as she tried to reassure Spike, Pinkie Pie, and herself, the awful fact of the situation still ate at Rarity deep inside her. She could deny or yell at it in anger all wanted to, but nothing would change the sinking feeling in her gut that threatened to swallow her in despair. The single disturbing fact that Twilight was gone.

* * *

Within the hour, the princess's had arrived in Ponyville by flight, a contingent of armored pegasi charioting other Royal Guard Unicorn's and Earth Ponies. The sight of their mass quickly descending upon Ponyville caused a commotion amongst its residents, gathering a crowd of ponies that only grew with each minute as to what could have possible demand such an unannounced entrance. The moment they had set hoof onto the ground, they were met by the girls and Spike rushing towards them from the library only a stone throws away.

"Explain what has happened," Celestia spoke, her voice holding a regal and commanding authority, the type of voice she had rarely shown to them.

"We've looked everywhere!" Rainbow Dash blurted out immediately. "Twilight is nowhere in Ponyville!"

"It was Trail!" Spike added afterward. "It all happened last night! Trail and Twilight were alone! Then I heard her scream! And when I ran in the room, he said he was taking her away before he blew some weird golden power onto me! And I don't remember anything after that, but when I woke up she…she…"

"Was missing," Rarity finished for him.

Celestia whipped her head towards the guards around her and shouted off orders. "I want a team of unicorns in the library! Find this 'golden powder' and analyze it. Send a second team to Trail's house to uncover anything that may be relevant. Earth Guards! Speak with every resident, if anypony had seen either of them last night, I want to know where and when! Remaining Pegasi! Begin searching Ponyville and expand outwards! If you meet up with the first wave already performing the search that had broken off during our transit, combine your patterns and continue to extend your flight paths outward! I want all the nearby countryside covered and searched by the end of today!"

Each pony gave a shout accompanied by a snapping salute, before dashing off to fulfill their orders. Princess Celestia turned to the girls, speaking with a less demanding tone but still with the same urgency. "I will need one of you to guide the team to Trail's house."

"On it!" Applejack replied immediately. Trotting off to the group of unicorns that had remained outside, she called them to follow her, all of them galloping off into the town.

"If you don't mind, Princess, I want to help with the search by air!" Rainbow Dash requested with a puffed out chest.

Celestia gave a single nod before responding, "Go."

Rainbow Dash responded with a haphazard salute and shot into the sky, meeting up with the nearest group of pegasi guards. Celestia gave a silent pray to the search parties before turning her gaze to the remaining girls. It was noticeable how hard they were taking Twilight's disappearance. They looked lost, tired, and even more bothering to the matriarch, hopeless. She had to do a double look at Pinkie Pie to make sure she was the same pony she knew. Knowing what she did of the always energetic outgoing pink mare, it made her worry her even more than she already was at seeings its discouraging effects.

Clearing her throat, she spoke as politely as she could in the distressing situation. "I want you to tell me of everything from Midnight Trails arrival in Ponyville to this moment. Do not spare a single detail. But before that, my sister and I must put to rest a grave concern that has grown upon us." Celestia exchanged a brief glance with Luna, their faces filled with worry as if they were not entirely sure they wanted to hear an answer.

Luna took in a breath as she prepared herself, and then asked as calmly as she could, "What does Midnight Trail look like?"

"Trail," Rarity spoke up, deciding to answer for everypony, "is an earth stallion. His coat is black accompanied by a silver mane. His eyes are red, we believe due to the fact he has vampirism as hard as it may be to believe. And he has the cutie mark of a red, crescent moon with hoof prints beneath it." She figured that of course the princess's would want to know the identity of the pony they were searching for, but did not expect to see their faces pale and become filled with dread as she listed his features. They look as if they had seen a ghost escape from Tartarus itself.

"It cannot be…" Luna whispered, her eyes wide in despair, a reaction Rarity had never seen in the Lunar Princess. Seeing the two alicorn's show fear brought a new and very unnerving feeling to Rarity. "Sister…" Luna said as she turned to Celestia.

Celestia's mouth was open as she tried to find her breath, but seemed unable to draw one in. Her gaze drifted downwards as the implications of everything Rarity confirming the pony set into her mind. After a few moments she was able to breath once again, exhaling deeply as she replied. "It is as we feared… Sombra… was not the only one to return…" The two princess memories of a darker time were brought back in full, still having difficulty believing the evil of the past had managed to survive into an age of peace that had been worked towards for so long.

Luna softly whispered, thinking they would be words she would never have to utter again. "The Night Walker travels the land once again."


	15. Chapter 15

_The evening prior..._

The lights of Ponyville twinkled in the approaching night, casting long shadows that fancifully decorated the streets from window designs. Families began to tuck into bed, birds roasted peacefully in their nests, and a quiet stillness settled over the town. Even the pony who strolled in content through the town at the late hour hardly made noise, enjoying the summer night breeze that gently swept across the trees.

Smiling at the relaxing atmosphere, Trail proceeded down the street, humming an old tune that was hardly louder than a whisper.

 _"Settled down to sleep,_  
 _Pull your blankets tight,_  
 _Rest easy young one, and have no fright._

 _Today is gone, and the night creeps by,_  
 _But in the morn', you will find…_

 _A new hill to climb, and a river to cross,_  
 _New adventures to find, awaiting your mark._

 _You will march through the woods, and tumble through thorns,_  
 _And tomorrow you'll find, a world you'll have not known before."_

Inhaling deeply, he let out a happy sigh.

 _How I did miss these summer nights. And what a town to enjoy it in._

Turning his head, he casually looked in to a passing open window, spying a couple resting atop the couch.

 _This really is a pleasant town, much like the ones I used to know without all the interfering politics and danger. Much better than some of these towering cities they have now._

Letting his mind wander to places long gone, Trail glanced at his saddlebag, smiling at the piece of history that sat carefully inside.

 _Out of all the artifacts I have had the pleasure of using, I think this one will quickly take my favorite place. How nice of the Sister's to keep it locked away in a forgotten vault, and with the most scarce guard detail I have ever seen. Times really have changed if relics like this are so casually protected._

His smile became wider as gave a skip to rustle the bags contents.

 _I simply cannot wait to use it._

Another breeze came, and Trail let out a happy sigh.

 _It's a shame this will be my last night in this town. Such a nice charm, and such sweet blood from its residents. Perhaps I'll make a summer home here if all goes well._

Humming the rest of the way through the town, Trail gave an eager smile when the library came into view. He licked his fangs in anticipation of the nights event, and strode purposefully forward. However, as he reached the door and lifted his hoof to knock, he twitched his ears at the sound of commotion within the library.

Flicking his tail in irritation, he leaned forward to make out the voices of Twilight and her friends, apparently having just seated themselves for dinner by the sound of the conversation.

 _Of course,_ he thought in annoyance. But with a patient sigh, he moved to the side of the library, carefully placing himself between the bark and pony-high bushes and flower beds that adorned the tree. _I suppose a last meal is acceptable. After all, one should eat well before their death._ Settling himself in a position that allowed him plenty of room duck down, he glanced about the street, and cautiously peeked through the library's window.

Looking in, he was able to see each of the girls along with Spike seated about a large dining table, Twilight having just brought out food and taking her spot at the end. Straining his ears, he could hear their conversations, but pushed their dialogue to the back of his mind for a far more serious observation.

 _Time to see how you are coming along, my dear._

Sitting himself down, he closed his eyes momentarily, and reopened them until they were only thin slits, a dim glow of white escaping from them. Turning his head, he peered through wood and space, pushing his limits to see the flickering souls of ponies within. One by one they appeared into view, translucent orbs that shifted from their movements at the table, each of them unique.

Spotting the one that he was all too familiar with, he turned to Twilight first, he noted the details he could from his distance, and gave a content smile at red coloration spreading within her.

 _It appears to be progressing along nicely. It's intertwining with her emotions quite well from the looks of it, the predatory side appears to be a little underdeveloped, and her anxiety looks to have only flared severely a few times. All in all, a smooth transformation._

He placed a hoof on the edge of his bag, feeling the bulge of the amulet within.

 _She looks stable enough to move forward with the transition. It shall be a very long night._

However the amount of work he would perform tonight, he could only look forward to the delicate and tedious maintenance he would perform on her, a challenge that he eagerly sought that would become much more difficult given the amulet's effects.

While idly thinking the possible hurdles that would require his attention the most during the process, a curious inclination crossed his mind. _I never did have much of a chance to fully explore the rest of the girls. Given that it might be sometime since I see any of them again, now sounds like a wonderful chance to peek._

Shifting his eyes to the other orbs, he gave each of them a brief glance, noting the sense of unease that permeated them unlike Twilight, and academically gazed deeper upon them.

 _My, my... you all really do bear your elements. Mark my theory of Soul Resonance being the source of power for the Elements as confirmed,_ Trail mused. _How Celestia and Luna managed to find such items, I haven't the slightest, but I wonder if they even know the very magic they had forbidden is the working mechanics of their greatest weapon?_ Taking a few moments to appreciate the slight irony, he focused on assessing the finer details.

 _Well, your diva certainly shows inside, as well as out, Miss Rarity. Your ego attaches to many parts of your being, but hardly to the negative emotions that are usually the source of such a thing. Your giving nature certainly holds a large position, with many connections to other parts of your thoughts and feelings. I'd say you would be even more generous if you were able to remove some those overriding concerns that plague you so on often petty things._ Before he turned he turned away from her however, a small detail caught his eye, and he refocused on the spot. _Well, well… I hadn't expected to see_ their _bloodline this far from their tightly guarded circles. How the self imposed righteous have fallen. Though, what to do about it…_

Trail brought a hoof to his chin in pondering, moving his eyes back and forth between Rarity and Twilight. After some moments, he smiled. _Let's leave your budding nature alone, Rarity. I'm more than interesting to see how things play out between you and Twilight down the road, should the encounter ever come._

With the mattered settled, he turned to Applejack. _Hardly has any negatives in her, rather an overabundance and growth of positive I'd say. But she seems to suffer her own concerns as well, mainly self doubt. Your theme for honestly must get in the way a lot with your indecision whether to speak aloud the often hard but truthful words to others. You are also quite confident in your own choices when it comes to something you feel right in. I'm sure that must have caused a few situations to arise when anything fell inside your area of expertise. But like with Rarity, you appear apprehensive about something… a topic that you perhaps do not wish to bring up?_

Reaffirming the general mood among them all, he gave a smirk.

 _If I had to wager, I would bet thirty bits that you are all here to talk to Twilight about her condition. That would explain why she is so carefree right now while hesitation, worry, and self-doubt flares within you all brightly, despite those smiles you are all wearing._

Still half listening should anything important be said during their conversation, Trail inspected the rest of the girls. _Fluttershy, what would they think of you if they knew the very strong, but still budding courage buried deep down inside of yourself? You really are so concerned with others that it prevents you from focusing on yourself even in the most minor of things. At least it is very intertwined with your happiness, or else I would suggest you to become my client._

 _Rainbow Dash, the only surprise you hold is that forced down feminism behind all of the bravado you bring forth. Not false, but perhaps a little more built over your softer side than it should be. You're not quite ashamed of not being the tough pony you appear to be, but it still holds a sore spot for you._ Looking closer, Trail inspected the connections it held within the rest of her. _A memory perhaps? Something from your filly hood? Maybe someday you can tell me the story if you aren't threatening to smash my face inward,_ he chuckled lightly. Then, his lips parted into a smile at the prospect of finally being able to see the most curious and exciting pony of the bunch.

 _Now, Pinkie Pie, let's see what makes you tick._ Turning his head towards the other end of the table, he rested his gaze onto her. As he observed her soul coming into focus, the grin on his face steadily gave way into a hanging open mouth, his eyebrows contorting at the sight before him. _What… in the name of Tartarus… is that?_

Before him was unlike a soul he had ever seen before. It had some of the typical structure and traits of a pony, however rest of it form made zero sense as to what exactly he was seeing. A soul was a complex and intricate thing, but the one resting inside her was built in a way his mind was having difficulty even fathoming. Where a connection that would normally tie a certain feeling with another trait, it just seemingly ended, only appearing elsewhere not even remotely close to where it should be. Parts that were unidentifiable warped in towards themselves, and impossibly out again in elongated shapes.

The strange structures that speckled her soul clung or mixed into random parts did not in the slightest obey or conform in the manner Trail knew souls to work. Unable to even identify the various parts of her soul, he regarded her with a new found awe, respect, and fear as she munched happily away at her salad. _That pony… disturbs me,_ he thought in concern, a statement that even in his mind, was one he would have never believe to have uttered.

Shaking his head, he pulled away from the maddening orb, finding his eyes straining at attempting to follow its impossible layout. What little he did gleam from it in the parts he could understand, were things he was already aware of from the easy going nature of the pony. _It's not important right now, nor do I have the unimaginable time it would take to begin even understanding whatever_ that _was._ Forcing the thought away, Trails ear pricked up as he caught the tail end of a sentence.

"-came over to talk to me about being a vampony…" Twilight's voice spoke.

Closing his eyes and returning to normal vision, Trail peered through the window once more, intent on hearing shift in conversation, watching silently as the ponies spoke regarding Twilight and her vampirism. Eventually Twilight broke off and went into the kitchen while the rest conversed amongst themselves, to quietly for Trail to pick up on what they were saying. It wasn't until Rainbow Dash loudly suggested they use the Elements of Harmony that Twilight shouted and ran back into the room, and straight towards the window Trail was at. He ducked himself down and tensed his muscles, ready to flee should she have spotted him. It would be easier to explain a fleeing shadow as somepony else than explain why the therapist was currently squatting in her hedge of petunias.

Moments later he heard the shuffling of her hooves away from the window, sarcastically responding to Rainbow Dash about vampony hearing before what he assumed was her handing the elements out. Assured he had remained unseen, Trail cautiously lifted his head and peered through the window once again, taking notice of the items he had always briefly seen locked away now equipped to their bearers. Trail watched curiously as they gathered into a circle, eyes closed in what he assumed was in activation of their Elements. Slowly but surely, the atmosphere began to tingle with magic, even reaching to him through the other side of the tree. Watching with fascination, he saw their bodies became charged with energy as they were lifted off the ground, encompassed in a soft but bright light. Seeing the powerful magic be put to use as arcing rainbows streamed from their necklaces and to each other, a chilling thought gripped him.

 _What if they work…?_

Cursing himself for under estimating the powerful energy the Element's wielded; Trail began to consider the option of charging in himself and putting a stop to the act, weighing the risk of risking a smooth transition for a potential disastrous and failed one. But the Elements decided for him before he could act as a blinding light filled the tree house and shot out through each window, causing him to retreat into the hedges with an audible curse. It wasn't sunlight, but that didn't mean was protecting from its blinding light. But as soon as the magic had begun, it ceased.

Trail spent the next few moments blinking away stars from his vision before shaking his head side to side. Having his vision cleared again, he became aware of the sound of crying coming through the window. Cautiously he lifted himself up again and observed the room, almost letting out a suppressed laugh at seeing the girls huddle together in what was obviously a failed attempt. _Equestria's greatest weapon my flank. I don't know how they managed to defeat Princess Luna when she was taken by the nightmare, but these Elements would have been laughable during my time. To think I was actually worried about their use against me. If they can't handle even the vampirism in a thrall then what would they expect turning it onto me?_ Trail continued to smile at the prospect everything would go according to plan, confident that all that was left now was a little bit of waiting. But as he watched their huddle mass, his previous thought echoed in his mind. _They defeated Princess Luna…_

Berating himself for almost underestimating the Elements again, he closed his eyes to switch to Soul Sight, worried at the possible unseen problems they might have caused. _It would be foalish of me to assume I am immune to its effects. A grave slip up on my part considering how many others thought the same against other weapons. The peaceful time I have spent here must be making me soft. But still... that kind of magic doesn't leave without a trace, I just hope it isn't beyond my ability to correct._ With partially open lids that glowed faintly again, he peered past the souls around Twilight, forcing himself to avoid looking upon the strange one, he inspected the alicorn.

After a minute of close observation, he concluded that they had impacted her, but nothing that was too worrisome. _It's hard to see past the despair currently flooding her, but the vampirism remains intact. It's possible that some of the triggers have been removed due to the lack of connections I had set in place, but they would have ran their use eventually anyways._ He had hoped his control over her magic would have at least remained, but sighting no bridge connecting her magical well to the specific placed in the mental section indicated it was gone. _Looks like I only got one shot at this. It would be troublesome if I have to perform tonight's process with force._

When the group embrace looked to be not ending anytime soon, Trail decided to wait it out and sunk back into the bushes. Ensuring that he was seated within the bushes comfortably and out of sight from anypony that might have walked by, he propped his back against the tree and listened to the crying that still took place inside. Confident that all he had to do was wait them out until Twilight was alone, a problematic thought appeared in his head. _I hope they don't spend the night…_

* * *

"Please, Spike, I don't want to risk you. You can be there for me the moment it's done okay? But during, just please stay in the kitchen. I couldn't live with myself if you somehow became infected." Twilight looked pleadingly towards Spike, unwilling to compromise his safety.

He opened his mouth as if to argue further, but sighed in defeat. "Fine…" he said. "I'll be in the kitchen. Let me know as soon as you're done okay?" he asked while pointing a claw.

"Okay, and thank you," Twilight replied with a smile.

Returning it, he replied, "Good luck, Twilight." As headed toward the kitchen, Spike turned to Trail and in a worrying tone. "You will take care of her right?"

Trail gave him a wide grin. "I promise Spike. Twilight will be safe under my care." With that, he kept his eye on Spike until he left the room completely before turning his attention back to Twilight. "Are you ready?" A resolute nod gave him his answer. "Then let's begin."

So far everything had managed to work. Trail had convinced Twilight to use the amulet tonight, and he was able to keep Spike out of the room during a no doubt worrying spectacle he would rather have him avoid, least he run out to her and ruin the process. He had silently fumed at the earlier mention it was only because Spike had dunked his head into the floorboards that they were able to spot the book he intended them to find, half tempted to scold Shade Flare later for having it so far away. But in the end, it somehow turned out favorable as any other position might have been too suspicious.

"Okay," Trail began. Circling around Twilight, he gave her the instructions. "First, you will send your magic into the amulet. Will it to life and purify you, let its magic respond to your calls and work. As I mentioned, initially it will be unnerving and unnatural, but so it must be to remove the vampirism. Accept it into yourself, and it will take care of the rest."

"Got it," Twilight replied. Taking a couple deep breaths in preparation, her horn began to glow. "Okay, here I go."

Trail watched intently on the alicorn, his muscles beginning to tense in apprehension of the moment and wishing all went according to plan. He moved himself out of sight, and behind Twilight; knowing full well that once it begun, she would be unable to move, unable to turn around and see what would obviously be a happy mood at her soon to be desperate and silent plight to turn it off.

Twilight on the other hoof, was purely focused on the activating the amulet, squeezing her eyes shut as she poured her magic into the diamond. Soon, she felt its own magical energy responding to hers, bringing a hopeful smile to her face. "I think it's working!" Twilight said, not noticing Trail failed to reply. She watched as the diamond began to glow dimly, feeling the tingling of its magic emanated from it, and into her. Twilight let out small 'eep' as its magic struck deep within her. _Unnerving was right!_ she thought to herself. She could literally feel the magic pouring into her body, stopping short of her center by her own natural resistance to such an invasive feeling. It felt alien, dangerous, and wrong to let something pierce so deep within her. It was similar to the sensation she had experienced when she became an alicorn, but that was much more pleasant than this.

Taking in further, deep breaths to calm her nerves down, Twilight slowly gave way to the magic, and let it inside of her. The moment she did, it rushed it with more force than she had anticipated. Gasping aloud, she fell to her knees as it poured deep within her. It squirmed within her very fiber, touching places physically, mentally, and magically she had never known could feel. _No… no no no no no, this isn't right! This is wrong! So very very wrong!_

 _I need to stop this, Trail got the wrong amulet or something because this… this isn't right!_ Twilight opened her mouth to call out for his name, but found she could utter a sound. _M-my voice! Why can't I talk!?_

In addition of losing her voice, she found she was beginning to lose control of her body, her limbs becoming unresponsive as she slunk onto the floor with a small thud. Becoming more panicked with each passing moment, Twilight silently pleaded for Trail.

 _HELP! STOP THE AMULET! IT ISN'T WORKING!_ Scratching her hooves pathetically against the floorboards, Twilight visible shook as she felt something ripped from her body. _WHAT IN CELESTIA WAS THAT!? WHY ISN'T HE HELPING ME? WHERE IS…_ Twilight screamed in her head, but became silent at the startling realization. She could not remember the stallion's name.

 _Wha…what's going on? Why can't I remember his name?_ Another wave of magic shook her as she felt another piece of her being torn away. _I… I can't remember what he even looks like anymore. OH CELESTIA! WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ME!?_

Tears began to fall from Twilight's face, her eyes unable to move as they glazed over and looked outwards as if they were staring at some distant object. The realization of what was happening beginning to set in as she pieces of her begin to steady rip away. _My… my memories… this thing, is taking my memories away…_

* * *

Twilight didn't know how or when, but her vision of being on her side in her living, lying motionless on the floorboards, was replaced with her standing outside. Finding herself a short distance from the treehouse, she looked about what was in the middle of the day in Ponyville. All about her were all of its residents, somehow fitting within the open area around her. Everypony she had ever known was there, the cakes, ponies she knew in Canterlot, her parents, all of them were there. The closest ones however, was Princess Celestia, Spike, and her friends. All of them, even ones she knew who had been mean to her, were smiling.

"What's going on? Why am I here?" Twilight asked aloud. But nopony responded to her, they only stared at her with silence as they wore comforting and heartwarming smiles.

They were giving warm and comforting smiles that Twilight wondered if any of it was actually real due to the bizarreness of everything. There were so many ponies that they stretched out into the street of Ponyville that was the main road out of town. But as her eyes followed the stretch of road, something that did not belong caught her attention. Sitting on the outskirts, was an impossibly tall object that drew Twilight's eyes upward. It was a menacing wall that was pure black, and it somehow stretched from horizon to horizon along the sides "What is that?" she asked nervously, taking note that it even towered above the few clouds in the sky. But nopony responded to her question, they simply remained locked onto her. Then, the wall visibly flared, flurries of darkness sparking off its surfacing. Twilight shrunk somewhat at the sight of the massive thing shifting, before it slowly began to move towards her.

Fearfully, she watched it approach the farthest house in the distance, convinced it would be flatten by the thing. However to her surprise, the house was merely swallowed by the darkness, sucking it in as it moved through it. She watched as the edges of the thatched roof become covered up as the wall progressed, unable to see anything it brought into its dark depths. "What in the hay is going on!? It just ate that…" she stopped in mid-sentence. _Wait… what's happening? I can't remember what it just swallowed._ She knew something had just been taken, but she couldn't recall what. Watching intently, she saw objects she could identify with ease, vanish from her mind as they too became enveloped in the darkness. It was as if everything it passed over ceased to exist to her, yet she knew there something was supposed to be there. Steadily it drew closer as it continued to devour the world she knew, Twilight now fully aware of what was happening with a heart stopping chill.

"No...no this can't.. this can't be happening! THIS CAN'T BE!" she shouted in panic.

Watching in growing horror at what was to be swallowed next; she let out a cry as she saw it approached the furthest of ponies away. "Get out of there! Run!" she screamed to them, but they did not move. A tear fell down her face as she watched it consume the first few ponies, painfully realizing their names and her memories vanishing at the same time. Now in shock, she looked to ponies she could recall easily, suddenly become impossible to remember as they were eaten one by one. Worst of all, she knew they were ponies she was supposed to remember. Her mind was perfectly aware of the gaping holes that were beginning to spread across her memories. Large, empty, blank spots that should have contained something she could no longer recall. And she couldn't remember anything that had been there for the life of her.

"NO! This can't be happening!" she yelled. "I can't forget everything! I Have to think, have to think, have to remember!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, terrified at the approaching wall continued to slowly envelop ponies and buildings alike. She couldn't even remember anymore what lay beyond the town, now not entirely sure there was anything outside of it. She could only remember everything she could still see that hadn't been eaten yet.

Stamping her hoof onto the ground, she wailed again, "No, I can't let this happen! I can't forget everything I've done here in Ponyville! A-all the adventures… all the things I've learned about the magic of friendship… all the things I've done!" Sniffling, she threw her head into the air as she screamed once more. "I CAN'T FORGET ABOUT THAT!"

But despite her protests, the black wall grew closer. The shops she knew, the parks she'd read in, the places she ate at, all vanishing as it swept through the town. It continued devouring things all while Twilight shouted for it to stop, tears flowing freely down her face in despair.

But with a large earth shattering shake, the wall jumped the remaining distance between her and it, consuming hundreds of feet of memories, before stopping just shy of ten feet. Twilight's eyes were wide as her mind and body went into shock, unable to comprehend how such a large part of her mind suddenly cease to exist. Her breaths became erratic at the jarring sensation of knowing so much, only to now know so little. The only thing that had yet to be touched was herself, and her friends.

They stood before her, watching her with the same comforting smiles as the darkness pulsed all about them. Twilight never noticed when it had circled around her, cutting off whatever had been behind her. She wasn't sure what it was, but she could have sworn there was something there moments ago. Some distant emotion signaling that a comforting place had been there, a place she felt safe at. But it was gone, and her head slowly turned to the next victims she could still remember every little detail about.

"No…" she whispered. "This is the one thing I have to remember. I can't forget _them_. I can't forget my friends! Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Spike, Princess Celestia...

The only things the alicorn could still recall, was the tiny little world she now sat in. Even the memories with her friends where in strange places she felt she had seen before, but could not put a hoof on why. They were strange places, with other strange ponies, but she could at least still remember her friends and mentor. Unable to give them up, Twilight began reciting their names in a mantra like fashion, her eyes passing over each of their faces as she called their names over and over again, forcing herself to remember them. She spoke their names faster as she looped around, trying to keep everything she could remember about them fresh in her mind, unwilling to let them be taken away from her. _I have to remember them, I can't let them go! Not after everything we've been through!_

"Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Flu-...what was her name again?" Twilight asked, before she gasped in understanding of why she couldn't remember the yellow pegasus's name.

"Oh no… NO NO NO NO! I CAN'T FORGET!" she screamed, on the verge of hyperventilating from the sheer panic and terror gripping at her. "Uh..uh... Pinkie Pie, Rainbow...flash? No that's not it! Lemonjack? No! That's not it either!"

Desperately, she kept yelling the few names she could remember of the ponies in front of her; still trying to recall the ones she could not remember the names of but yet still knew their faces. She could still remember who they were and what she had done with them, but eventually, even after her repeating over and over again, she wasn't able to remember the name of a single one. They were all now familiar faces with no names to her.

Then, she could feel her memories with them, all the things she did by their side, slowly escape her. Being stretched away as if overpowering and unseen force peeled them from her mind. "NO! DON'T TAKE THEM! LEAVE THEM ALONE!" she screamed once more, falling to her knees as she gasped for air in between her wailing cries for them to stay. All their adventures, like pictures in an album, were eaten by black fire, fading from her mind forever. Remembering parties where they all laughed with each other, slowly become an happy occasion with strangers, then cease altogether. Sunsets shared, became moments where there just happened to be other ponies nearby, then forgotten entirely. She watched as each memory of her smiling face sharing moments with her friends, turn to a confused look as to who each pony was at that moment, then in wonder if it had even happened at all.

Each moment she had spent with them faded before her eyes, and each moment threaten their disappearance from her forever. _No, I can't let them leave!_ she thought in renewed affirmation. _I am not going to let them be taken away from me!_ Shaking her head, she stood straight and looked at them once more again, trying to force them to stay, making sure they wouldn't become swallowed up themselves. Ready to tackle the black wall again and force them to stay, Twilight looked to each of them, but gasped from what she saw.

Their faces were gone.

They were just simply blank. No eyes, no muzzles, just a blank face with a familiar body. _Why can't I see their faces! Why can't I see them?! They were there, they were just there! ...I-...I can't remember what they look like!_

Collapsing onto the ground, Twilight became too overwhelmed at what was happening to stand up anymore. It was only her sobbing form, the blank face ponies, and the wall of darkness around her that made up her world. _I don't want to forget, I don't want to lose them. I can't lose them! I don't want to forget my friends! I want to remember!_ Letting loose painful, sorrow filled screams, she cried on the ground.

 _I...don't want to forget… They taught me so much that… I wouldn't be here or be the pony I am today without them. They're so close to my heart, I just… I can't forget them!_

Her body wracked uncontrollably from her tears for the ponies she didn't even know the names or faces of around her. They were important, she couldn't exactly remember why, but somehow she knew they were. It took minutes for Twilight to calm herself down, before she looked back up again. Furrowing her brows, she tried to make sense of why there was a group of ponies and a dragon around her. _Who... who are they? Why does my chest hurt from seeing them? Why do I feel like I can't live without them? Why are they so special to me... why...  
_

Then the ponies themselves began to fade into the darkness. She could hear their voices calling out her name. "Twilight...Twilight..." they echoed together in hauntingly familiar voices.

"NOOOOO, I'M HERE!" Twilight shouted, desperately reaching a hoof out towards them. "I'm right here! Don't Go! Don't leave me alone in this place!"

"Twilight…" they kept calling, their voices growing distant as the surrounding blackness slowly began to pass over them.

"I… I don't know who Twilight is! I don't know who that is! But please... don't leave _me_ alone!"

They called for Twilight one last time as their featureless faces were slowly pulled back into the blackness around her, their bright and reassuring colors the only contrast to her environment.

Then they were all gone, leaving her the only one left in this tiny world of hers, and the darkness that surrounded her. But even that wasn't enough. Shifting again, it inched towards her. The mare cringed away from it, feeling more scared, horrible, and sick to her stomach then she knew what to do with. Tears still flooded her face as she looked at her hoofs confusion.

 _Why am I so sad? Why am I crying? Who... who am I?... What's... happening..._

Then, the blackness overtook her. And there was nothing left of her world.

* * *

Trail flinched when Twilight let loose a scream, eying her carefully for any signs that might give away her condition. She had lost consciousness over half a minute ago, her body twitching as she faced off some nightmare. Seeing a tiny sparkle shine from the diamond after her scream gave the sign he had been hoping for, Twilight's memories had been sealed. The time to enjoy the accomplishment was short lived however, as Spike shouted from the kitchen, throwing the door open and running to the mare's side.

"TWILIGHT!"

Trail's smile fell at the sight of him, giving a sigh at what he would have to do next. With an extended foreleg, shadows whipped around his hoof, leaving a small pouch atop his hoof as they faded away. Taking it, he dumped out a golden powder onto his hoof and moved towards Spike.

"What happened!? Is she alright? Did the amulet work?" Spike asked while trying to wake her up.

"She is alright. The amulet performed its purpose," Trail replied, closing the distance between him and Spike quickly and quietly. "Unfortunately, Spike, this is where I must take Twilight and part ways with you, and all of Ponyville for good."

Spike looked up to Trail, confusion in his eyes as he asked, ""What are you saying?" What do you-"

"What I'm saying is, goodbye," Trail interjected, before blowing the powder into his face.

Spike yelled as he frantically attempted to wipe off the substance, but fell quickly to its power. "What are yooouuuu… dooo… dooooinnngggg…" he said before collapsing on the floor.

Trail chuckled at his now sleeping form. "It is a good thing you have me to deal with, Spike. A pony with less experience in dealing with dragons might have resorted to killing you, which would have be a shame really. You never know how useful a dragon will become a hundred years or so down the road. You may be of use yet. But for now, sleep pleasantly."

Trail turned away and focused on a more important matter. Moving beside Twilight's still form, he carefully slipped the necklace off her neck and peered into the diamond. Gazing into its depths, he was able to see images fade in and out, the memories of Twilight's whole life trapped within its crystalline prison. "Well, it seems all is in order," he said happily.

Wrapping the amulet within appearing shadows, he whisked it away from his hoof and turned his attention back to Twilight. _Now for the tedious process of a smooth transformation. There are many traits you possess I wish to keep intact, and I can't risk the vampirism damaging your sense of reason and logic, nor your kind heart. Save of course, when you must bare your fangs,_ Trail grinned, imaging her hunched into a predatory pose with a gleam in her eye, fully capable of killing any that would stand in her way. _Now that is a sight I wish to see someday._

"Oh, before I forget," Trail said aloud. Before he began his search, he turned off all the lights of the house, intending to not draw attention during the precious hours of night left, hours we would be spending on ensuring Twilight's soul remained intact as he desired during the transformation. After flicking the last light, he turned to the various book shelves, scanning the various titles in the dark quite easily for a specific book. After a few minutes searching he found the one he was looking for atop a high shelf.

Bringing it down to his hoof, he idly admired the cover of the Corpus Nocte Morsu.

"Despite how many times I use you, I never tire of the endless tricks you can perform," he said in reminisces. Muttering a phrase, the book shook as its magic activated. After it settled, he flipped through its pages, nodding in satisfaction at the blank and empty pages that filled it from cover to cover. Not a word was within it, nor were there any hints that there had been. Slapping it shut, he brought it over to his saddlebag. "I dare say, if I had never found you, my wrists would be sore from all the writing I would have to do manually; much easier to let a book write itself as you speak aloud then write yourself, especially one that can be re-written."

Tucking it away into the saddlebag and ensuring everything was in order, Trail turned his eye towards the alicorn, a pair of fangs extending in anticipating over the next few hours. "Well now, Princess, shall we get started on making you a full vampony?"

* * *

Wind.

It was the first thing the alicorn mare was aware of. Rushing wind. She felt the airflow around her body, ruffling her feathers and causing her mane to blow in its breeze. As her mind began to take in the sensation, she became aware of a warm body beneath her. It took her a few moments, but she eventually realized that whatever was beneath her was also carrying her body, her forearms and legs dangling to the sides in the breeze. Scrunching her face at the sensations that brought her out of the darkness she was in, she groaned while opening her eyes.

"Your highness? Are you awake back there?" a voice said in front of her. Opening her eyes slowly, she took in the sight of a stallion head halfway turned around and looking back at her. "You are! How are you feeling?" he asked. She simply stared at him in her groggy state, not quite sure how to respond to him. His coat was black, and his silver mane tasseled before her face from the breeze.

Wind.

She remembered the first thing that woke her, was the wind. Lifting her head, she looked about where she was, and widen her eyes at the sight before her. Everything was dark like where she remembered being, but it wasn't empty. Thinking about it, it actually wasn't that dark out. She could see clearly even though she was aware of the shadows. And what a sight it was she saw.

She was high in the sky, resting on the back of the stallion, his leathery wings gliding them across the night sky. The moon was high above, casting a glow onto the land below. Everywhere she looked, she was met with beautiful green landscape. Hills that rose up in small bumps on the ground, dense trees that swayed gently in the breeze like grass, and rivers that reflected speckled moonlight, glittering at times like the stars above. She had no memory of one, but she somehow knew that she was witnessing what was without a doubt, a beautiful night. Her gaze turned upward at the sight of fluffy clouds drifting past them, their undersides dark while their top glowed as if they were made of silver. The mare stared opened-mouth at the spectacles before her, only becoming aware in the middle of their descent that the stallion was on a course to land on the ground.

He glided slowly, ensuring a smooth descent before flapping forcefully at the last feet, trying to land as smoothly as possible. "If your highness so wishes, you may step on the ground now," he said gently. She simply looked at him blankly, before turning her head to the grass below them. She had never seen grass, but she knew what it was, much like everything else she had seen. Watching the ground as if it was some strange creature, she timidly extending a hoof towards it, unsure if something bad would happen. When she first touched it, she flinched back a bit, not entirely sure she liked the feeling of the ground. But with a reassuring smile from the stallion when she looked to him for help, she cautiously tried again, this time keeping her hoof in contact when she set it all the way down. "See? Ground isn't so bad," the stallion said. He waited patiently for her to remove herself from atop his back, her eyes locked onto the green stuff before her in caution and wonder.

After she stood by herself, she shifted her hooves at the new sensation of ground. _This… feels different. I think I like the air better,_ she thought to herself.

"Your highness," the stallion asked, waiting until she drew her attention from their surroundings and onto him. He wore a look of concern as he eyed her up and down. "Do you… remember anything?" The mare stared at him for a few moments, before shaking her head side to side. "Do you know my name?" he asked. She shook her head side to side once again. She was afraid it was wrong of her to not know, but the stallion simply smiled as he bowed low. "My true name, my dear, is Night Walker."

"Night… Walker?" she repeated, speaking for the first time. She had no memory of speaking, yet she knew what to say to express her thoughts.

"Yes, that's right. I am a stallion who enjoys the night, and loves walking within its enchanting beauty even more so," he said while gesturing to the scenery around him.

"Night Walker!" she said, smiling at finally knowing what to call him. Night Walker simply smiled at her calling his name, bowing once more towards her.

"It is my name and my title, for even though many travel the land at night, _The_ Night Walker, I am the only one." The mare smiled at him and his odd way of speaking. For a reason she could not place a hoof on, she felt comfortable around him. It was like she knew him, and yet did not at the same time, only the odd emotion that she felt when looking upon his face. "But now I must ask you in turn, do you know _your_ name?"

The mare was about to shake her head again, before her face turned into a thoughtful look and turned to the ground. _A name… everypony has a name. Names are so a pony knows who another pony is. What is my name?_

Night Walker waited a minute before asking again, "Do you not know?"

Her eyebrows furrowed as she rattled her mind. Eventually she opened her mouth and spoke slowly as she sounded out the words, "My name…" Night Walker looked towards her expectantly as she stared hard at the ground. "… Sparkle…" she whispered.

Had she been watching, she would have noticed his body stiffen suddenly at the word. "My name is… Sparkle…" she repeated slowly, but with growing confidence.

"No wait… that's not all of it. I… I can't remember what goes in front of it. I only remember Sparkle," she said, turning to him with a look of worry. He remained motionless as he regarded the mare, his eyes searching her as if he expected her to say more.

"Is that wrong?" she asked in concern.

Seeing her face take on such a troubled look, he simply smiled as he returned to his reassuring mood she had first seen in him. "No, Sparkle is part of your name. Would you like to know what goes before it?" The mare grew a small smile as she nodded hopefully. "Your name ,my dear, is Ruby."

"Ruuuby," she said, sounding out the word.

Night Walker smiled as she repeated it, a sense of relief filling him. "That's right, your highness. Your name… is _Ruby Sparkle._ "


	16. Chapter 16

_She fell away,_  
 _From the sunny day,_  
 _Far from light and warmth._

 _But find she did,_  
 _Those that hid,_  
 _Who called the princess forth..._

"We're here," Night Walker announced while stepping aside and extending a hoof. They were at the mouth of a large cave, deep within a forest Night Walker had flown them towards for the last few hours. Even as Ruby looked at the cave with curious eyes, the sun was steadily rising, bringing dawn to the land. She had been transfixed at the growing light, having not seen something like it before but yet knowing full well what it was. Like everything she had seen so far, each object or sight was a new mystery that she somehow knew the name of. It was this fascination with everything she laid her eyes on that kept her quiet during their travel, her heart fluttering in excitement at slowly recognizing the world piece by piece.

But now, she was undecided, torn between two emotions that rose from standing before the dark cave. A part of her said to stay away and remain in the growing light where everything was safe and known, while another reassured her that the darkness was not something to be afraid of, even doubly so at being able to see easily into the shadowed crevice. Ruby remained motionless in hesitation until her ears flicked at the sound of Night Walker coughing poiliety.

"If you wish, I could go in first," he offered. A timid nod in reply caused him to chuckle before moving in front of her. "Stay as close as you like, and follow me." Reassuring her with a smile, he turned around and moved forward.

They entered the cave with Night Walker in the lead, both of their wings tucked to their sides and moving at a steady pace, their hoof steps echoing softly about the rocky interior. Ruby's senses picked out each detail vividly, becoming lost in observation of every moment they spent walking. Her ears flicked this way and that at the sounds within the cave, listening intently to how many times their hoof steps repeated back to them. The scent of damp but moist air tickled her nose, nothing alike with the open air they had left behind. And her eyes observed each nook and cranny that appeared before them, never left bored at the repeating environment throughout the entire cave, instead inspecting every inch with new fascination.

They continued through the winding cave, a slight descent in their path that lead them steadily deeper. Their journey into the earth however, was put on hold as they soon became aware of voices echoing towards them. Ruby stopped at hearing them, understanding they were the voices of ponies yet unsure on how to proceed. Night Walker paused at noticing her stopping, turning his head back to her with a questioning glance. "Ruby? Are you alright?"

She did not answer as she continued listening to the voices, her heart beating quicker from her nervousness rising. "Are you worried about meeting the others?" Night Walker hazard a guess, receiving his answer in a slow nod from the mare. Flashing her his usual and comforting smile, he attempted to convince her. "I promise nopony will hurt you. In fact, they will be most joyed at your return."

"My… return?" Ruby asked, haven been too caught up taking in everything to have asked any meaningful questions.

"That's right. Just a little ways ahead, your subjects await you. They have unknowingly waited for over a thousand years for your return."

"Why would they wait for me?" Ruby asked, her uncertainty of continuing forward growing even more. She could not imagine as to why anypony would be awaiting her, especially when she didn't even know who she was; which was a thought that had not crossed her mind until now when it became relevant, ringing new questions for her to contemplate. With an audible gulp, Ruby nervously asked, "Who… who am I?"

"Why, you are Ruby Sparkle, Princess of the Vamponies," Night Walker answered right away, throwing in a bow at the same time.

"Vamponies?" she asked, not immediately understanding the word unlike everything else.

"Yes, it is what I am. And what you are," Night Walker said pointing a hoof to her. Ruby tilted her head in confusion before looking down to inspect herself. "Do you see your cutie mark?" he asked.

Arching her head to take a look at her rear she replied, "Yes."

"See the red colored stars? Those signify that you are a vampony, a creature of life and death whose domain is the night and its shadows."

"Life and death?" Ruby asked aloud. It was not because she did not understand the concepts, but because she felt squirmy thinking about them, yet excited and alive at the same time. The polar opposite emotions ebbing inside her were beginning to make things more difficult than they already were at the barrage of new information whenever she looked upon something.

"Though such topics are not suited for this moment, rather we should be focused on more comforting and happy ones should be taking place, such as our kin learning of your survival," Night Walker said, gesturing down the cave with his head.

Ruby mulled over her apprehension a few moments more before slowly continuing forward again, Night Walker smiling approvingly as he resumed the lead. _I_ _guess I shouldn't keep everypony waiting me from what Night Walker is saying. But... am I really that important to ponies I have never meet before?_

Continuing on for some minutes, the two had reached the end of the path, a wide naturally forming arch way that looked to lead to a very large area where multiple voices came from; the pathway glowed with a soft blue light that emanated from the ahead open space. Ruby halted again at the sight of a pony waiting in front of the entrance. Unlike everything else she had seen, nothing came to mind upon seeing him. Not his name, or the type of pony he was for the matter.

Most strikingly, he had tufts of hair on his ears, making them appear larger and more elongated than they were, and his pupils were slits instead of ovals, nestled in the center of his amber eyes that watched them approach intently. The only reassuring look about the grey pony was his tucked leathery wings, the same kind Night Walker had. She briefly wondered why it was that she had feathered wings and not ones like theirs.

"Good morning, Shade Flare," Night Walker greeted as he continued on.

"Welcome back Na-…" Shade Flare at first responded before coughing suddenly. After clearing his throat and giving a quick glance to Ruby he finished, "Welcome back, Night Walker. I trust everything went well."

"Indeed," Night Walker replied with a smile before gesturing a hoof towards Ruby. "May I introduce, Princess Ruby Sparkle."

Shade Flare bowed low to her upon hearing her name, eliciting a nervous shift of hooves from Ruby at the behavior. "Ruby, meet Shade Flare, my second in command."

"Um… You don't have to bow to me…" she said hesitantly, not entirely sure why she felt so uneasy about the action.

"Ruby," Night Walker said. "I understand this may be uncomfortable for you, but you will have to learn to adjust. You are a princess, and princesses are treated as such."

Ruby shifted her eyes to the side of the cave, unable to come up with a reason as to why she shouldn't be treated like that, and also unwilling to speak against Night Walker. He had been the first pony she had come to known since waking up in the sky, and looked to him a source of protection in a strange yet familiar world. She felt as a filly would to an adult that knew much more than they did and sought their approval.

Seeing her unease, Night Walker moved close and cupped her chin gently, and flashed her a warm smile. "This may be confusing and difficult, but you must learn to accept such behaviors from your subjects. They do not do it because it is out of obligation, but because they look to you for guidance." Ruby lifted her head as Night Walker spoke, listening intently. "A ruler must direct her followers, and protect them beneath her wing at the same time. Do not doubt your authority or claim at such a position, for they will love you for what comes naturally in your heart and mind. It is why you of all ponies, are fit to be a princess. And why you should not feel so undeserving."

Ruby still did not look convinced, but she took the words to heart, reducing the squirminess at the idea of ponies bowing to her somewhat.

Night Walker removed his hoof as he continued back toward the archway, looking at her over his shoulder. "It will take time for you understand and come to terms with. But for now, let us introduce you to the rest." With Night Walker once again in the lead, the three of them moved into the large cavern ahead, Shade Flare waiting graciously for Ruby to pass before falling behind.

Entering the expanse, the three of them took in the sight of a cavern. They stood atop a ledge some few ponies height tall, looking down in what looked to be a natural rocky stadium of ledges and flat spots. About these platforms and nooks large enough for a large wagon, they saw much of the space filled with ponies sharing Shade Flare's features. Numbering in what Ruby guessed was nearly a hundred ponies, they sat about the cavern in various spots, many gathered in conversation around glowing crystal's poking from the ground that gave off an ethereal blue light.

The age of the ponies ranged from tiny colts and fillies, to even a few more senior stallions and mares. It looked as if a small town lived within the cave, but the scarcity of supply crates and lack of other items suggested they had only been here for a short amount of time. Upon seeing saddlebags still strapped to some of them, she reasoned that they perhaps had only recently arrived like her.

Lichen and other fungi adorned much of the rock, more prominently near the crystal's Ruby noticed. The lichen seemingly appeared to be comfortable as most of the ponies laid atop of it, their hooves tucked beneath them or completely laying down on their sides. Transfixed at the sight of the cavern and how many ponies were about, she sucked in a breath as the softly echoing conversations died suddenly, and all heads turned to them.

Each pair of amber eyes stared widely once they took in the three forms above them, causing Ruby to shrink at the attention. Night Walker on the other hoof, strode proudly to the edge and looked down upon them warmly.

"My brothers and sisters," he called out. "It brings me much joy to see you all gathered here. Happy I am to have you by my side, to fight against the unjust isolation and slow but sure extinction of our species. Here you are now because you answered the call of your true heritage, to acknowledge the bloodline of your ancestors. The blood of the Vamponies."

Each pony was now standing up on their hooves, craning their heads upwards as they listened intently.

"I know you have sacrificed much to get here, and how you risk the wrath of the Royal Sisters who kept you away from the world, away from the prying eyes of everypony least they fear your appearance, or remember who you once were. But know that from this day onward, that I, The Night Walker, shall return you to your former glory! Return you to the strength your ancestors once wielded when they stood by me so long ago."

His crimson eyes twinkled as he paused momentarily to take in the look of how captivated they all were, feeling the surge of excitement that he and they had managed to make this far.

"But, there is another reason for joy tonight. For it is not just I who has returned from the past of a forgotten time to ensure the restoration of the vamponies." Turning to Ruby, he extended a hoof in her direction, and gestured for her to join him by his side. Nervously, Ruby stepped closer to the edge, and peered down at the faces that were now entirely focused on her.

"I, your Prince, who was locked in a crystal coffin for more than a millennium, have brought back the Second Princess of the Night, who had been held captive by the Royal Sisters for as long as I was sealed. Princess Ruby Sparkle!"

The face of the ponies lit up at hearing just who the alicorn was atop the ledge, and joyful smiles spread like wildfire at the idea of not one, but two important figures from history had come to their aid. Soft murmuring was heard as they began whispering the word 'princess' amongst each other.

Ruby lowered her ears at what she thought was surely was their disapproval of them. But to her disbelief, their confused faces grew into smiles, and their eyes began to look energetic and alive.

"A princess…"

"We have a princess!"

"Can you believe it?"

"A real princess!"

Ruby unfolded her ears and leaned forward in curiosity as they became more excited and animated, some even beginning to stamp their hooves in joy. Then, a single pony's voice called out clearly in the cave. "Ru-by!"

All heads turned to the back of the crowd, seeing the little filly who had cried out her name. The fillies eyes was wide with excitement as she stared upwards at her, shouting out her name again. "Ru-by! Ru-by!"

She repeated the name in the chanting like fashion, until shortly another pony echoed the name in tune with her, then another, and another. Swiftly their voices grew as each pony joined in the chorus, shouting her name and filling the cave with a roaring applause.

"RU-BY! RU-BY! RU-BY! RU-BY!"

Ruby was stunned at the cheer of her name, slowly moving her eyes from each smiling face to smiling face that called out to her enthusiastically. A part of her recoiled at the chanting of her name, wanting to say it was some mistake and she really wasn't the pony they shouted for. But she would be lying if a small part of her didn't become overwhelmed by another feeling, one that she couldn't easy describe with words, but left her chest fluttering as a sense of belonging filled her. It was a small but very heartfelt joy to say the least.

Night Walker eyed her carefully, taking notice of her subtle reactions to the crowd's cheers. Seeing her locked in shock at the attention, he spoke loud enough for only her to hear.

"See Ruby?" Drawing her attention away from the faces—which she found hard to do as they looked so happy to see her, especially when their meet eyes with her—she looked to Night Walker questioningly. "They look to you with hope in a time of need, something they have not had in an age. They now depend on you."

Ruby was speechless to the idea that other ponies could ever look to her for help as they did, especially since she knew so little of the world. But even when she turned back to them, she heard Night Walker continue. "If you ever feel uncomfortable in ruling because of your personal feelings, then simply look to them. Look upon their faces, and remember you command not for yourself, but for them. You rule, so they may be happy, just like they are now upon seeing their princess who has returned. It is because of you that they can be so hopeful of the future."

She remained silent as the words sunk in, the echoing cheers of the ponies having yet to cease while she internally took in everything that had happened. _I don't know how I gotten into a situation like this, or why anypony could depend on me. But…_ Gazing across the crowd again, she saw the light in their amber eyes, a light that showed more than any words could begin to describe.

As Night Walker said, they looked to her with hope. _But… I can't turn away from this. Not from so many ponies who need me._ Nodding to herself, a look of determination came onto her previously taken aback face. In response to the cheers, she took a step forward, bringing herself right onto the edge of the rock formation. Spreading her wings in a drowned out _*thwump*_ , she gave a wide grin to them all. Her recognition of their voices and her regal pose she now held only drove them to call her name louder. "RU-BY! RU-BY! RU-BY! RU-BY!"

 _I may not know who I am, or how things ended up like this,_ Ruby thought. _But I do know that I could never turn my back on ponies who need me, not when they are counting on me for so much. Of that, I am certain._

Passing over the faces of each pony once more as the idea of actually being a Princess of Vamponies began to sink into her mind, that it was truly who she was, she turned to Night Walker. She no longer held the look in her eyes he first saw her with, fearful and uncertain of everything. Instead, she now looked to be a completely different mare than the one who had only opened her eyes to see the world for the first time a few short hours ago. They were now ablaze; a light behind their crimson color that showed a burning sense of purpose. "Night Walker," she said confidently. "I want to be caught up on everything I missed. I want to know what happened to me, and I want to help these ponies. I want to help _our_ ponies."

"Then it shall be," Night Walker replied simply with his typical grin. "Welcome home, your _highness_."

* * *

After the commotion eventually calmed down and Night Walker said a few last words regarding their situation —mostly how they would be spending some time here until more suitable accommodations could be made or if the situation changed and required them to move—he had lead Ruby into an alcove within the cavern that was to be her very own, one adorned with naturally growing blue crystals for light, and a whole floor covered in the soft lichen.

Walking about, there were many other alcoves, tucked away either in the back of the main area or in branching passageways. But so far hers was the biggest she had seen, able to fit ten ponies with room to spare. She had underestimated how comfortable the lichen was from above, understanding immediately as to why everypony was intent on remaining on it.

"You should get some rest," Night Walker said to her as she inspected her living space. "You have been through a rough transition, and you need time to recuperate."

Ruby turned her attention from a particularly squishy mushroom to him. "Walker…," she said before catching herself. Guiltily she folded her ears and cleared her voice. "Is it okay if I call you that?"

"You may call me anything you like," he said with a smile.

Rubbing her foreleg idly with her other hoof, she casted her eyes about the room. "What… happened to me? Why don't I remember anything? I mean, if I'm a princess of vamponies, shouldn't I know that myself?"

Forcing herself to not look away, she locked her gaze with his, the desire of wanting to know showing clearly in her questioning eyes. She felt even more lost and confused than she had when she awoke on his back, the idea of a whole life and persona that she wasn't even aware of weighing heavily on her now that she knew she wasn't just some pony.

Night Walker's smile faltered as he spoke forlornly, "The entire story is too long for now." Seeing her ears droop, he let out a sigh. "But to put it in short, you were captured shortly before I myself was sealed."

"Captured? By who?"

"The Royal Sisters, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna," he replied, eliciting a tilted head from Ruby at hearing the names. Night Walker paused to check if their names rang any bells, then continued when she only held a questioning look. "They are the rulers of Equestria," he said simply, taking note at the look of realization at the name of the country but not its rulers.

 _Curious, she remembers the country but not its rulers. I'll have to test the amulet further on others in the future to see if that is intended or coincidence._

"The princess captured you," he continued, "and locked you away deep beneath the royal city. I am not entirely sure what they had done to you, but it is clear they made some modifications to you, perhaps even to go as far as experimentation. It is obvious your lack of memories is from their doing."

"But... why would they do that to me?"

"Because…" Night Walker began, trying to choose the words carefully. "The princesses don't approve of our… _diet_ , to put it simply."

"Our diet?"

"Well, we are vamponies," he said, hoping she might catch the hint. When she did not he slowly explained, "And vamponies feed… on blood."

"B-blood?" Ruby gasped, but the confirming nod from Night Walk ensured she had heard correctly. "Are you really telling me that we, as in all the vamponies here, drink _blood_?" she asked with a squeak.

"I understand that may seem alarming at first, but it is a part of who we are. Something that everypony else in here besides you and me have lost," Night Walker replied as he looked behind him into the cavern.

"What do you mean?"

Turning back to her he explained, " _We_ , are vamponies. _They_ , are bat ponies as it were." Receiving another tilted head in confusion he continued. "After you and I were sealed from the world, the remaining vamponies had nowhere else to go. I learned from today's descendants that the Royal Sisters took them in, granting amnesty from their previous actions of feeding on blood. In return, they would allow what the Princesses could do to reverse the vampirism that had affected them. One indicator is the amber in their eyes, they do not share our red coloring."

"My eyes are red?" Ruby asked.

Night Walker blinked, then out let a chuckle. "I forget you haven't seen your reflection since you awoke. But yes, your eyes are red."

Turning her head down in thought, Ruby ran over what he had told her, multiple questions forming in her mind at the same time. "Walker, if they aren't vamponies anymore and no longer need blood, why would we want to return them to how they were?"

"Because, what the Royal Sisters have done to them isn't working. It's _killing_ them," he replied angrily, his mood suddenly transitioning to a much darker one.

Her head snapped up at the word, her brows creasing from worry. "Killing them?"

With a slow nod he replied, "That's correct. You see, when I had first awoken from my imprisonment, deep within the Crystal Kingdom, I began to search for our kin immediately, and rally them under our rule once again."

Ruby opened her mouth to express that the Crystal Kingdom did sound familiar to her, but remained quiet as she listened.

"But what I found was not our allies having lived throughout the ages, or even remnants within hiding. I found their descendants locked away in a town that does not exist on any map, and their very souls modified beyond measure."

He turned his eyes towards her, and she nearly flinched at the cold stare that came from him.

"Whatever magic the Royal Sisters had conjured up to make them who they are today is slowly driving them to extinction. With each generation they grow weaker, more affected by the changes. It has gotten to the point that some of them are even sterile, no longer able to have children like the sisters promised they would be capable of having once undergone the modifications. They have been so tampered with that they don't even have cutie marks anymore. Birth defects are becoming more common as well. Some are born blind, others malformed. And each generation has more stillborns than the last."

At that last bit, Ruby brought a hoof to her mouth, and she turned her head in the direction of the bat ponies, while Night Walker's dark mood only grew as he pressed on, his wings quivering as he extended them outward.

"They promised life to our ponies, but instead have given them centuries of suffering. They are sick, Ruby, and are becoming even sicker with each generation. Some of them never even make it to full grown ponies, they simply just die off randomly in early youth or adolescence. Eventually, the entire batpony race will die out, and it will be an undignified and regretful last whisper of our kind when the very last batpony departs this world. We will be nothing more than a memory, if the Princesses ever see it fit to reveal our existence to the world after shuffling us into forgotten lore."

Ruby was unable to stand up while processing the information, her stomach and heart becoming far too bothered by the idea. Her back legs bent down as she sat, her eyes locked onto a nearby mushroom as she ran over the what he had said in her mind.

"This is why we need to help them Ruby," Night Walker continued. "We must restore the vampiric bloodline within them, but to do so, to undo what the Royal Sisters have done. We must save them from their cruel fate that they have suffered with for over a thousand years, a fate _we_ were unable to protect them from!"

Ruby's heart twinge at this last words, her earlier feelings of wanting to help them becoming further kindled with an even more intense passion. It was her duty to guard over her ponies she mulled over, and she hadn't been able to do that for a very long time. And to top off everything off, from the fact of losing her memories of them, or rather stolen she realized, a raging spark ignited inside her, gnawing at her from the inside out.

Her eyes gleamed as a sudden rush of anger flared inside of her, the very blood in her veins calling out for a hunt on the ponies responsible for everything that had happened to her and her subjects. If she had to put a word to it, vengeance came to her mind on how she felt. Unbridled, furious, and justified vengeance. And it came easy to her, much to her delight and dismay at the same time.

"But," Night Walker suddenly said in a calmer tone, snapping Ruby from her haze. Resuming his familiar smile, he continued, "Tonight is not the night to dwell on such things. I will inform you of the details I know of later on. For now, you must rest." Ending the matter, Night Walker turned away and began to walk out of the alcove. Before he left completely he paused to glance back at her. "Sleep well today, we will continue on in the night."

"Oh, uhm… sleep well," she replied, caught off guard from the change of moods. She waited for him to leave, even waiting a minute or two in case he came back, before slumping down onto the soft lichen below. She felt torn between exhaustion and the urge to do something, her chest still holding an ember at the burning anger she that had overwhelmed her just a bit ago. Taking in a deep breath, she flared her nostrils as she exhaled at not being able to decide what to do now. It had been a very long night that had so much that happened.

Though it had been only a short time ago, it already felt like an age since she had awoken ontop of Night Walker's back, captivated at the sight of the night sky and land below, to finding out she was apparently a princess of a lost and battered race, to becoming absolutely furious at these so called 'Royal Sisters' for doing such horrible things to them. Thinking about them again threatened to bring about her ire once again. But before she could dwell on it any further, a soft noise of scuffling hooves made her ears flick.

Lifting her head she looked to alcove entrance, able to pick out the sound of tiny hooves stepping lightly near its edges. She was well aware that a pony was moving about in what sounded like uncertainty around the corner, and it brought her no surprise when eventually a tiny head poked around the corner.

A little batpony peered around the corner, and then promptly squeaked before pulling her head back, having not expected Ruby to be staring at the exact spot she had been hiding.

 _Okay, that was just too cute,_ Ruby thought happily, all feelings of her anger vanished on the spot. Smiling at the filly's action she gently called out, "Is somepony here to see me? I could sure use some company." She didn't know why she talked like she did, she just had a feeling it was the right thing to say to entice the filly to come back.

Sure enough, her little head poked over. She had it so only one of her eyes was shown from the corner, but the sight of her tuft ear sticking out only made the sight even more adorable. "Hello there," Ruby cooed. "Have you come to see me?" The filly's head nodded once, her eye very large at the sight of a real princess in front of her. "Well, you're welcome to come join me in here, what's your name?"

"L-Lunar Pearl," the filly answered as she stepped out from her hiding spot.

"Hello, Lunar Pearl, I'm Ruby Sparkle."

Lunar Pearl shuffled in a few steps, taking in the mare for a few moments now that she was so close to her. Eventually she straightened her posture and looked surer of herself, raising an eyebrow as she asked, "If you're a vampony, how come you're wings are like that?"

Ruby Sparkle had opened her mouth to answer, but truthfully she didn't know. The fact that she was the only one with feathered wings did not escape her, and she did not know what to say to Lunar Pearl. Thankfully, somepony else spoke before she could.

"Lunar Pearl! What are you doing!?"

Lunar Pearl flinched at the scolding tone as another and older batpony mare stood at the entrance of the alcove. "What are you thinking barging into the Princess's room like that? Get out of there!" Turning her gaze towards Ruby she lowered her ears and took on an embarrassed look. "I'm terribly sorry for my little sister, she can be a little too confident for her own good sometimes."

"But Lil's, she said I could come in!" Lunar Pearl cried, quickly turning back to Ruby and asking in what could have been the biggest puppy dog eyes Ruby had seen. A brief thought passed over at the fact it _was_ the only one she had seen since waking up, and its effects were completely effective against her.

"Please, Princess Ruby, can I stay?"

Only able to smile at how cute she was being, Ruby replied, "Of course you can, and you are welcomed to come in as well, Miss Lil's, was it?"

Flustering at the invitation, the mare quickly replied, "Please, call me Lily Wing. Lil's is what my sister calls me."

"Well then, Lily Wing, it's quite alright for you two to keep me company," Ruby replied cheerfully as she gestured to the lichen in front of her.

"Yay!" Lunar Pearl cried as she bounced over to Ruby, her wings flapping lightly for a few inches of air in her hops. She ran to Ruby's side and plopped herself down with legs tucked underneath, trying to imitate exactly how she laid. Then, Lunar Pearl looked up with large eyes. "Are you really a Princess?"

Ruby laughed lightly before replying, "I guess I am. You see, I don't really remember me being a princess, or a vampony for the matter."

"Really?" Lily Wing said with a raised eyebrow.

"I know it sounds silly, but the only memories I have is from a few hours ago before I entered this cave. I woke up on Night Walker's back as he was flying. All of you know about me as much as I do."

"But why is that? What happened to you?" Lily Wing asked in concern.

"Night Walker said it was the Royal Sister's fault. From the sound of it, it looks like they are capable of it considering what has happen to you over the years," Ruby said as voice became quieter, trying to tread carefully on what she assumed was a sensitive topic. "May I ask what _has_ happened to you?"

Lily Wing sighed as she looked down. "Of course you can ask, you're our princess like Night Walker said. But where do I even start… Do you mind if I sit down?"

"Please, feel free."

Lily Wing tucked her legs beneath her and made herself comfortable a respectable distance from Ruby, giving a scolding glare at her sister now and then who held no concept of personal space.

As Lunar Pearl was fidgeting with excitement, Ruby blinked her eyes in recognition, and smiled. "I remember you now. You were the filly who first called my name."

"Hmhmm!" Lunar Pearl hummed loudly. "You looked a little shy up there on the ledge, so I thought shouting your name as a welcome home would help."

"That was very kind of you, and it did help," Ruby said.

The two of them laughed with each other, and even more so as Ruby angled her wing to tickle Lunar Pearl with a feather. _She is just too precious._

"Ru-by! Stop that tickles!" Lunar Pearl giggled in protest.

"That's Princess Ruby, Lunar Pearl," Lily Wing said hesitantly, unsure how loudly she should speak up with Ruby in the room.

"It's quite alright, I don't mind not being called princess," Ruby commented.

"Oh… right, sorry."

"Lily Wing…"

"Yes?" Lily Winy stammered loudly.

"Please relax, your nervousness is making me nervous. I'm not really one for formalities, at least, I don't think I ever was." Sharing one last smile with Lunar Pearl, Ruby turned her eyes back to Lily Wing. "Please continue."

"O-okay," Lily Wing said, before taking in a breath. "From what I know... we've been under the Princesses protection for what has been forever. Countless generations have been born and raised in the town they had set for us. Our history isn't well documented, so a lot of it has been passed down by storytelling." Lily Wing let out a half hearted laugh at her next statement. "I couldn't believe it when I heard about Night Walker and him being our ancestor, that we were once a strong warrior race of vamponies that ruled the night. I know of a few stories saying how we were powerful knights when the sun was down, but I never imagined we were vamponies."

"You mean you never knew?"

"Not at all."

"What about all of you being sick?"

"That part is true," Lily Wing said solemnly. "We are sick, and it's a well-known fact it's been getting worse. The princesses had told us that we were infected with something bad and that they were trying to get rid of it. I guess that we just eventually forgot it was about us being vamponies…"

"Did the princesses ever think to let somepony else look at you if they weren't successful?"

"They did," Lily Wing said, her voice in a half interested tone on the matter. "There were a few unicorns now and then that came Dusk Town while I grew up. They spent their time studying us, collecting samples, and casting spells on us. Each time they always said that they were a hoof closer in finding a cure for us. But years later they still say the same thing, not once have they gotten anything that seems to really help."

"If the princesses couldn't find anypony, how come none of you didn't leave to search on your own?" Ruby asked, her reasoning being if a pony wants something and it's within their power, they should seek it out whatever it is. It only made sense to her that if you wanted something, you went for it.

But Lily Wing shook her head. "It's forbidden for us to leave. There are always guards posted to make sure we don't wander out. To be honest, this is the first time I have ever left the town," Lily Wing said in a doleful smile.

"Not me, this is my second time!" Lunar Pearl replied proudly.

Lily Wing's scowl quickly returned as glared at her. "And you got into a lot of trouble for doing that. Do you know what could have happened if you got caught?"

"No, but if I didn't I would have never been able to tell you what Night Walker said to us and we wouldn't be here," she retorted, sticking her tongue out for good measure.

"You met Night Walker before tonight?" Ruby asked in interest.

Tempted to return her sister's childish behavior had it not been for a princess occupying same space, Lily Wing turned back to Ruby. "Well, tonight is the first time I met him, but who else could have planned our escape? I don't think anypony would have dared to leave if it was anypony else besides the Lord of the Vamponies. I had a hard time believing what he said was true let alone believing him and vamponies even existed. But everypony else that was there that night were able to confirm it was all true. After that, we spread the word around the town as discreetly as possible, only telling other ponies we believed would come with us and not turn us in to the princesses for planning to leave."

"Not that I don't appreciate you leaving for us," Ruby said. "But may I ask why you chose to come?"

Lily Wing's face turned into a forlorn smile as she glanced down to Lunar Pearl, still nestled close to Ruby's side. "I did it for my sister."

Lunar Pearl rolled her eyes but still blushed slightly on her cheeks from the statement, only making Lily Wing smile more so. Turning back to Ruby, she continued in a wistful voice, "I worry about her and what may happen. You see, our mother died shortly after giving birth to her. She had grown weaker over time and wasn't strong enough to keep going after bringing Lunar Pearl into the world. Some years later, our father also became seriously ill, and passed a few months after that."

"Oh my stars," Ruby gasped before turning to look at Lunar Pearl beside her. But Lunar Pearl had turned her head the other way, refusing to show her face to her.

"I worry about what kind of illness she might gain as she grows up. She has a chance of growing old as a normal filly like I've managed, but these days... it's becoming less promising for a batpony to make it that long." Lily Wing took a moment to catch her breath, pained to even bring up the subject. After some seconds she continued, her voice became sharper, "Which is why I decided to take her along with the others to follow Night Walker. He promised he would fix us, make us well again, and at this point I'm willing to believe anything if it means my sister can live a happy life."

The three of them remained silent in the alcove, Ruby and Lily Wing not sure what to say anymore, and Lunar Pearl still staring away at the wall. Ruby watched her with a growing sadness, trying to imagine the life she and so many other bat ponies have been living, all because she was not there to protect them. It ate away at her heart, so much that every bit of her maternal instincts flared at how much suffering and heartbreak her ponies had suffered, even if the intentions had been good.

Lunar Pearl gave out a gasp as saw soft feathers move in front of her vision, then felt them against her as they rested on her body. Looking back over, she watched Ruby shift herself closer until their bodies were touching, her wing extended over the filly's body in a protective embrace.

Too taken aback from Ruby's movements to realize she had a bit of wetness beneath her eyes she forgot to wipe away, Lunar Pearl stared up in awe as the smiling crimson eyes that looked down onto her.

"You have been so strong through all of this," Ruby said gently. "And you have been put through so much. Even if I can't remember being a vampony, I'm still proud to call you family. But all the suffering you have experienced ends today now that I'm back. From now on, I'll taking care of you... all of you," Ruby finished as she glanced briefly to Lily Wing.

Lily Wing watched in hopefulness as a smile spread across Lunar Pearls face, staring intently at the princess in a way she had never seen before. Her heart tugged sharply at her as she recognized that look, the very one she used to show when she was just a filly. The look she would give to her mother…

Lily Wing suppressed a tear that nearly broke out, her insides twisting at the sight of the two. She had tried her best to be there for Lunar Pearl as she grew up after their dad passed away, and it was not that she didn't do a bad job. It was just that she would always be a sister to her. And while Lunar Pearl would always have some memory of their father, she never knew her mother. She could not blame her little sister in the slightest for giving the long fabled lost princess such a look; the princess has been nothing but welcoming and kind to them. _I pray that you are able to help us Ruby Sparkle, you have to now. You can't fail now that you have given her hope like this…_

The three of them shared a comfortable silence for minutes, the two girls sharing a close hug that only brought a giggle to the filly when she was tickled by a feather now and then, and Lily Wing staring on happily at the sight of her sister smiling without having to force it for once. Eventually they heard the noise of other hoof steps outside the alcove, and turned to find more bat ponies gathering around the entrance.

"Eh, excuse me Princess," one of the senior bat ponies asked wearily, his ear tufts extra fuzzy as well as his eyebrows, and streaks of white within his grey coat. "We were just wondering if you perhaps had a moment of your time to spare. As you imagine, the news of a having princess is a fairly big deal, and we'd like to welcome ya personally."

Ruby beamed him and the others a wide smile. "Of course! Please, all of you come in. I can't wait to meet all of you."

Murmurs of approval and excitement spread through the small and growing crowd as they huddle around the alcove, all eager to see the Princess of the Vamponies, the Second Princess of the Night. Against Night Walker's suggestion, she stayed up well into the late morning conversing with each pony, learning their names, their family members, and their troubles. Listening with a happy and heavy heart at the same time. Yet, Lunar Pearl, who happily remained by her side the entire time, helped remind her to stay strong for them, showing them confidence that she would be able to help them. Eventually, other fillies and colts wiggled their way to the front, and also got the chance to sit next to Ruby much to Lunar Pearl's dismay. There was a small squabble between the children but it was quickly ceased by the bark of an elder for them to behave in front of their princess.

Ruby sat through the rotating crowd of bat ponies, each taking turns to fit in the alcove and to see her up close. All the while her worries of who she was slowly becoming a distant thought, for there was no question in her heart and mind now that she had spoken to the ponies that looked at her so. She was, and will be again, The Princess of the Vamponies.

* * *

"Well, that went better than expected. Wouldn't you agree, Shade Flare?"

"Their reception of Princess Ruby was more… enthusiastic, than I thought it would be," Shade Flare replied. Night Walker had met up with him after taking his leave from Ruby, the two of them along a passageway far off from anypony might hear them. "I had my doubts of how well she would take to the role, but it seems you once again predicted accurately."

"When it comes to one's behavior, all you need to know is the soul, and what buttons to push, " Night Walker replied. "But I believe the fortune lies in the fact that nopony recognizes who she really is, courtesy of Princess Celestia never allowing you to leave that concentration camp."

Shade Flare nodded in agreement, well aware that he would have bought the story too had Night Walker not included him since the beginning. An honor that he still had trouble accepting at times. Every preconceived notion he had of the Vampony Lord was dashed aside, not entirely sure if it was because of how eccentric he was, or how his isolated of an upbringing he had, unaware of how real ponies were supposed to act. Or both.

"How long do you expect until she will be ready?" Shade Flare asked, his amber eyes glinting at the prospect of returning to their previous shade of red once more.

Night Walker mulled over the question for a few moments before answering, "I want to make sure she is fully stabilized, that will require her to feed as well. That ordeal alone will be take some time for her to adjust, both mentally and emotionally. Though she does not know it, she is a new vampony, and with that comes some growing pains of adopting the behavior of one." A smile crept up on Night Walker's faced as he regarded his second. "Are you so eager to be a vampony once again? I figured you would scared of dying yet another time."

"I'd be lying if I wasn't."

Night Walker let out a laugh as he moved past him into his own quarters. "Do not worry, soon enough she will be able to remove the alicorn magic. It will be then that you will become a vampony once more, and it will be permanent this time."


	17. Chapter 17

_Tell me, oh bloodless one,_  
 _What do you dream when you slumber?_  
 _Do you chase fanciful mares,_  
 _While ripping their hearts asunder?_

 _Do you dream of purer times,_  
 _When your heart was not so cold?_  
 _Do you wish you could go back,_  
 _Before your soul was not sold?_

 _What nightmares does evil have?_

"Get away!" Ruby shouted while simultaneously jumping up onto her hooves, her wings flared out and her entire body crouched in a defensive position. Her teeth exposed in a snarling expression, fangs bare and ready at whatever had dared to approach her. Her mind was completely focused at the foe that had managed to sneak up, but would not allow any closer as expressed in her threatening body language. However, the behavior disappeared immediately at the recognition of the stallion standing just a little ways before her, a perplexed but wary expression on his face.

Night Walker stood at the entrance to her alcove, leaning back slightly as he regarded her posture. They stared at each other for a few heartbeats before he spoke up to break the silence. "If I had disturbed your sleep that much, I can always come back another time."

Ruby quickly shuffled up from her low crouch to a more proper and upright position, a small flare of pink built on her cheeks. "I-I'm sorry, I just reacted and… I guess I was asleep…" she said while shifting her eyes away.

She had been in a deep slumber living out a dream she could no longer recall now that she was awake. But at some point during her sleep her ears twitched at the sound of approaching hoof steps, and a fierce instinct overtook her at not allowing a threat to sneak up on her vulnerable form. It was with that emotion and mentality that she had leapt from the dead of sleep onto her hooves, ready to attack whatever had dare to challenge her. A reaction she was beginning to feel more embarrassed of having with each second.

But the sound of Night Walker's laughter brought her out of her self-embarrassment and her head up. "It looks like you're returning back to your good old self."

"How does nearly attacking a pony in my sleep count as good?"

"It means your predatory instincts are coming back to you," Night Walker simply said. "But we can discuss that later tonight. Come, there is a matter we must address."

"Is it about your missing wings?" Ruby asked with a tiny amount of worry. She noticed that the leathery wings that had carried her to the cave and the ones she had slept on were no longer tucked at his sides. In fact, they weren't even there anymore.

Night Walker gave a quick glance at his sides before replying, "I forgot you don't remember. To answer your question, no. My 'missing' wings are not the issue and I will bring you up to date on why that is later on as well." Turning around he called over his shoulder, "Come along now, I would like to take care of this as quickly as possible."

Ruby's mind puzzled at what he was referring to as she followed him out of the alcove. When they entered the opened cavern, her eyes passed over the wondrous sight of the glowing blue stadium like area that bat ponies had been living in. There were tents now pitched on some of the larger ledges, and bits of carpet along with packed baskets set neatly around the cave. The first thought that came to her mind from the scene was 'refugee', as it looked to be only essential items stacked about. She had wondered when they had time to set it all up, thinking perhaps it was during her time with the two batpony sisters before the rest of the crowd came to greet her.

Her thoughts quickly changed from curious yet sad realization at the state of her ponies, to simple and happy observation as she watch them move about, some of them having looked to have just woken up. Adults were moving out from their tents or beds of soft lichen, stretching their wings and giving wide yawns. Some of the fillies and colts were chasing each other about, appearing to have already been awake for perhaps some time now. Though they wore silly grins, their voices never became too loud as to flood the cavern with their laughter. Ruby didn't know why, but she had expected them to be louder while the played, surprising her at how quiet they were. All in all, seeing them begin their night was a happy and satisfying thing to watch. And to know despite the dangers that are now surrounding them, that they could look so normal and carefree. It made her proud at how strong they could be in the face of strife.

As she and Night Walker climbed up the slope that lead to the ledge she had first stepped out on to show herself to the bat ponies and inevitably lead back topside, one of the fillies stopped running and began to wave to her. Lunar Pearl had spotted the two of them and was waving good evening towards them, shortly accompanied by the rest of the children when they had followed her gaze as to what was so important to stop playing. Ruby returned it with a wave of her own, smiling at the group of children and a few adults who had also taken notice.

A small grin of satisfaction grew on Night Walker at the sight. _Things are progressing even more smoothly than I had expected. Which means sometime soon, something will most definitely go wrong if the literature of today has any say on it._ He held off a light chuckle at the anticipation of what kind of disastrous and inevitable event may occur, an outlook he had to forcibly foster onto himself due to the many unexpected and often negative events or outcomes back in his time. He found reveling in unfortunate circumstances would work more often to his advantage than be in distraught over them. _After all, life is about ups and down. All you can do is prepare for it._

Night Walker and Ruby left the cavern and made their way up the winding path to the surface, a trip that seemed much shorter than on the way down to Ruby. It wasn't long before they stood at the mouth of the cave, the last remnants of the orange sky becoming dim as the sun set.

Ruby happily took in a deep breath, reveling in the fresh air that held the coolness of the coming night. As comfortable and safely inclosing the cave was, she much preferred the open air over the damp and stuffy atmosphere of underground. Here, she was free in the open world, able to see the land around her should she choose to fly high enough. That is, if she could fly high enough.

She had forgotten she hasn't exactly flown by herself, yet she already knew what it would feel like and the sensations it would bring. She began to pass it as a side effect of the tampering the Royal Sisters had done to her and what else they might have, before a scent that wafted on the wind locked her entire body and shut down her mind.

She suddenly became very aware of a burning sensation that began to fill her throat; it was like she had swallowed a mouthful of scorching sand that clung to her insides, remaining locked in her esophagus and threatening to burn even greater the longer she waited. Her eyes scanned the area immediately, easily piercing through the building darkness for whatever it was that was emanating the smell. Autonomously she moved forward, mouth hanging open as if to taste the smell in the air, driven by an unknown urge to seek out the scent.

It held a metallic smell to it, but it was sweet at the same time. She couldn't begin to explain how tantalizing it smelt, or understand why it made her mouth water slightly. Leaving the mouth of the cave, she began making her way past the small clearing and into the dense forest.

Her eyes darted about as her nose wrinkled with deep but shallow breaths, picking up the faint trail of what she sought. The rest of her senses became heightened in kind, how the soft grass felt when it became crumpled beneath her hooves, the rustling of the tree branches and scurries of critters while her ears flicked to and fro, to how tense but loose her muscles were as she walked, ready to spring to action in a moment's notice.

The only thing that was not behaving in superiority was her mind, for it was too locked up in the uncontrollable urge to find the smell. In fact, not even a single thought had crossed her mind since she first caught wind of it.

Then as she turned a tree, she spotted the source.

With her dilated eyes, she easily spotted the bowl of red liquid, sitting perfectly serene atop of a stump. She froze on its sight, taking in the way the bit of moonlight that filtered through the branches shined across its surface. She had never even had notice when the moon came up, or cared. All that mattered was the liquid that bombarded her senses and whispered for her to do one thing.

Drink.

She gulped as the burning in her throat flared at the sight of the liquid, somehow knowing that it would be able to ease her soreness. Instinctually, she moved forward again, her eyes remained locked onto the bowl, not even daring to blink as she approached it. She didn't know why she felt like this, or what exactly the bowl contained, but then again, she never had a moment to consider such things. The only thing that made her even pause at downing the liquid immediately was the sudden noise of a branch snap on her left.

Whirling her head around, she fell into the same position she had woken up in earlier in the night, fangs bare and muscles tensed as she glared at what had made the noise.

Standing calmly some twenty feet away, and just as equally far from the bowl, was Night Walker. He held his usual grin as he stared at her, and watched her intently. Ruby had never even noticed him following her, in fact, she had completely forgotten about him when she first picked up the smell. Yet unlike this morning, her posture did not flinch in the slightest.

Her brain then finally began to churn, assessing him as to what he was doing, and wondering automatically if he was going to get between her and the bowl. She didn't care she was being aggressive to him, nor did an ounce of embarrassment come to her from her behavior. The only thing she cared about, and was deathly serious on, was that he did not get in the way of her drinking from that bowl.

He let out a bemused chuckle that made Ruby's feathers quiver and her muscles flinch, having nearly lunged at him on the spot. Then, his head slowly turned away from her, and onto the bowl. Her eyes widen at the forced conclusion that he had the same target, that he was going to drink it instead of her. In suit, he took one step forward toward the bowl, flashing his eyes at her as what she saw was a mocking gesture, that he was going to drink it all before she could.

But she was not going to let that happen.

With a bloodcurdling shriek that would even give a manticore a pause, Ruby lunged at Night Walker, easily covering the distance with a single leap. Night Walker jumped to the side just shy of Ruby's fangs, giving a growl in kind as he pulled away from her and raced towards the bowl. Hissing in anger, Ruby chased after him immediately, fury overcoming her at the notion he would dare challenge her for the liquid.

Flapping her wings again in time with a kick, she thrusted herself with enough momentum to catch and tackle Night Walker, knocking them both to the ground in a tumble. Snarling in fury she moved on top of him and shoved her hoof down onto his back, pinning him beneath her. Then, she mercilessly began stomping down onto him with her other hoof, striking with force that caused Night Walker to roar out in pain.

But he would not yield to her right to drink so easily. Flipping over, he threw a foreleg crossways, catching her side with force that sent her flying off of him. With a stabilizing flap Ruby caught herself nimbly as she landed away, wincing slightly at the soreness that spread from the hit. She gently placed the hooves down on the side that received the blow, but her attitude did not falter as she hissed menacingly at him.

The pain of the attack had given her a hint of the strength her opponent possessed, and it was more than she could muster. Her eyes narrowed as he resumed a standing pose, flexing his shoulders and eliciting audible pops from his bones. Though he tried to shake off the soreness as a harmless, the deep bruised marks on his back indicated she had done some damage to him.

Now they stood across from one another, watching the other intently. Though her opponent was closer to the bowl, she held his attention and knew he would not risk another move to the bowl while he had to contend with her. He was stronger of that she was sure, and possibly more durable than her. If she wanted her drink, she would need to disable long enough to swig it all down. Even the idea of killing Night Walker if necessary had crossed her mind.

She needed to get around him, use her wings as an advantage, and bite on one of the six locations on his body she had already selected; throat, the artery under each leg, and the back of the neck. She needed to end this as quickly as she could, one for not wanting to prolong the fight and take a chance at receiving more blows, and because the burning in her throat was beginning to become painful.

All of those thoughts were decided during intense stare down they held that had only lasted a few seconds. Her body, mind, and behavior were all running on pure instinct. Faster than thought, and with no room for questioning the morality of her actions. Only survival.

She slowly moved to Night Walker's left, while he moved to the right. Both of them circling each other as a predator would, patiently waiting for the tiniest of openings to exploit and finish the job. Her breaths were shallow as wild red eyes remained locked onto his, waiting for some hesitation or sign of weakness in him. But he held her gaze evenly, his similar eyes focused and unwavering. Though they regarded her as an opponent as well, they held a calm about them that Ruby lacked, a sense of confidence and control over the fight, some superior advantage she did not have. And that attitude only infuriated her even more.

From the mixture of the burning pain that tore at her throat and the inner rage that had steadily rose throughout the fight, Ruby's horn glowed from building magic that she beckoned. Night Walker's eyes widen at the glowing light, betraying his control of the situation and creating an opening, one she did not hesitate to use.

Wrapping him in her magic, she threw his body up thirty feet, and then promptly slammed him back into the ground with the same force. Not waiting to see how he fared after the blow, she flung him against a tree, then another, and another. On the fifth tree she threw his body against, she had done it with such force that it cracked the trunk, causing the tree to bend at a lopsided angle and seemingly ready to break off with the rest of the splinters that fell out.

Ruby dropped the motionless body onto the ground, watching closely as he fell with a solid thud onto the forest floor. Her horn remained aglow, waiting for him to move again in case he needed to break apart another half a dozen trees. When he continued to remain still, Ruby let out an exasperated breath.

Her vision became hazy as her breathing became ragged pants in desperation for air, something that was becoming harder to inhale as the pain in her throat that had started to spread into the rest of her body. The sensation was that of her flesh searing from a flame and she could not wait any longer. Content that her foe was no longer capable of impeding her desire, she moved shakily toward the bowl. Once she had reached it she stared longingly onto its surface, the crimson color of it calling her like a siren. Wide eye and with drool leaking down her chin, she threw mouth into the bowl and begun to gulp large mouthfuls of the liquid.

The sensation was incomparable to anything else.

The fire in her throat was doused almost immediately, cooled by the crimson liquid as slide slowly down after heavy swallows. While the soothing effect it held on her body was amazing, the taste of it was even more so. It held a copper like taste but it was not displeasing, rather it mixed well with how else it tasted. Not bothering herself on how she knew, the closet thing she could describe it was something that was as sweet as honey yet held a rich, deep, and refreshing flavor similar to strawberries. The faint taste of the metal somehow complimented it perfectly, giving the taste a weight on top of the sweetness that made her feel like she could bite into it at times. The way her tongue tingled from touching it as it slide down it was like having soda and pop gems in one's mouth, eliciting a fuzzy sensation that exploded about her mouth in euphoria, making her let out soft moan as she continued to drink. The feel of how her tongue lapped more of it into her mouth, the way it oozed past her teeth and down her throat, and how her body cooled while her brain send waves of pleasure after mind forcing pleasure and contentment… it was like being in ecstasy simply from drinking. It simply tasted too good, and made her brain send euphoric signals to keep drinking, all while letting out soft moans of satisfaction.

It wasn't long before she downed the entire bowl, licking her muzzle on the left overs that stuck to her coat. "Oh sweet Equestria was that good…" she said happily, her eyes half opened as the lingering but rushing sensation of the drink died down. She sat down in a slight daze, her mind somewhat fuzzy after the matter, and her body to decide to simply relax and let the good feeling work its course. But it did not last long as her brain caught up on the fact of what happened before she began drinking.

Snapping her eyes open, she spun around. "Night Walker!"

She spotted him sitting up near the tree she had last thrown him into, rubbing his hoof against his back as she gave a careless smile. "Well… that went a bit differently than I imagined."

"Night Walker!" Ruby shouted as she ran over to him, frantically spouting off apologies. "Oh my gosh oh my gosh! Are you okay!? I'm so sorry! I don't know why I did those terrible things to you!"

"It's okay," he said with a forced grin. "I guess… I _forgot_ , how strong and proficient you were with magic, especially levitation."

"I'm so sorry," Ruby said dejectedly, falling onto her rump as she stared at the deep bruises left on his body. _How could I have done something like this?_ Not entirely sure she wanted the answer, Ruby asked hesitantly, "Wh… why did I do those things?"

"Well," Night Walker replied while flexing a foreleg. "You smelled the blood I left out for you and followed it. Then you saw me, returning immediately to the lovely mannerism that you had greeted me with this morning." Ruby looked down at her hooves as he repeated the experience, almost unable to believe everything he was saying was true were it not for her memory of it. "I took a step toward the blood, fully intent on drinking it before you," Night Walker said with a smirk. "And you took exception to that."

"Why… why did you have to get between me and the… blood," she said, her voice cracking over the word. She should have known what it was, and a small part of her said that she had the entire time. But she was too caught up in the situation to put a thought to it. "Why did I crave it so much that I… that I hurt you?"

Night Walker regarded the Ruby who was still staring at her hooves like she was a monster, unable to come to terms with what she had caused with them. "Ruby…" he said drawing her attention. "You did what you had to do to survive." When Ruby's face still held a confused expression, even having a bit of wetness around her eyes that had built up, he continued. "When I had freed you from the Royal Sisters, you were in a bad state. I had to give you my blood to return you to what you once were, but that wasn't going to be enough for you long. For all intents and purposes, you are like a newborn vampony, and you will suffer through the initial stages."

"And… what are those?" she asked slowly, her mind now come to grips on what she had done and focused on what she could do to prevent it from happening again.

"I don't know if now is best to explain everything, you should probably take some time to rest and-"

"No," Ruby interrupted. Putting her front hooves back down onto the ground she looked at him, her face holding a half hearted look of determination. Her demeanor might have looked more serious if it wasn't for the recently wiped away tear and the stain of blood on her chin. "I want to know now."

He gave her a once over before sighing and shuffling himself in a more comfortable and less sore position. With a calm voice, he began what was to be a long winded explanation. "Much of the vampirism inside of you had been warped or somehow removed, and it needed to be restored or else you would have died. To do that, I needed to feed you my blood. With that the vampirism was restored, but it will take a toll on you as it is recouping many things that once were there. No matter how the stories of this age portray it as, a significant change such as becoming a vampony isn't an easy and instantaneous process. It requires time and energy for it to develop. That is why even the amount of blood I had given you only lasted a night. You needed to feed again, and I wanted you away from the bat ponies."

"In case I…" Ruby tried to finish objectively, but found it too difficult to say. Even the brief thought of hurting them such as Lunar Pearl flashed crossed her mind before she forcibly shoved it away, to disturbed at the notion to even let it play out.

Night Walker's nod confirmed the awful conclusion. "You would have eventually smelled their blood, and being at the beginning stages again, you would have done anything it would have taken to sate your needs. Right now your body is going through a difficult process, and you need plenty of blood to fuel the transformation until it settles."

"So… it's not permanent? How I acted?" she asked hopefully.

With a reassuring smile he answered, "No, it's not." A relieved sigh escaped the Ruby's lips, feeling better at the fact she wouldn't treat ponies with such disregard once everything settled. "But that doesn't mean that instinct won't kick in should you become severally hungry again," he said, dashing her hopes slightly. "It becomes much more manageable the more you experience it, only taking control of you during dire times, and only for survival. It actually has a name, often called in germane der Letzte Drang."

"The Last Urge?" Ruby replied.

Night Walker blankly blinked at her understanding of germane before letting out a chuckle, "Yes, that is the translation."

"And what is it?" she asked, her curious and analytical nature coming back despite the horrible topics and experiences that had come up within the last hour.

"It's when a vampony spends too much of the energy, or are simply starving and need to feed. The more you spend the blood inside of you, the quicker you approach the der Letzte Drang."

"And how long does a vampony last if they don't use their powers?"

"About two, maybe three weeks if it's a good meal and they don't use any powers and only come out at night," Night Walker replied slowly.

"Sun light has a detrimental effect on a vampony's blood reserves?"

"Yes," he said, a little taken aback at her questions that were starting to come faster.

"Can a vampony eat or drink things besides blood?"

"If… they so choose..."

"Does it have any effects?"

"I guess you might be able to stretch out another week before you need to feed again…"

"Does vampiric power's burn through normal food first before blood?"

"I'm not entirely sure…"

"What about-"

"Ruby," Night Walker interjected quickly.

"Yes?"

"Could we perhaps talk about this another time? I would like to heal a little first," he said, nodding towards the marks over his body.

"Oh!" she replied, her demeanor once again becoming sullen as she looked once over the nearly splintered in half tree then over his battered body again. "I'm sorry, I should probably let you rest those injuries which… don't... look as bad now…" she trailed off. Taking a closer looked, she was sure that the size of the bruises had lessened.

"One of the perks of being a vampony," Night Walker grinned. "We're tougher than your everyday pony, and heal faster. But even that takes a toll on your blood preserve. In fact, I think I will head back to my alcove and have a drink myself so help the process."

"Um… Walker?" Ruby asked tentatively.

"Yes?"

Her eyes shifted back and forth as she squirmed over the question. "Whose… blood did I just drink?"

Night Walker was silent for a moment before responding, "It was blood I had saved over some time. One of my natural talents that I will show you later. Do not fret, no pony died for it." Ruby's face brightened immensely at the fact, glad that she did not have to kill anypony for her first remembered taste of blood. As delicious as it was to drink, she didn't quite see herself willing to kill another pony for it. In her mind she hoped that in the future she might find a way to get her nourishment without much harm to the pony; dim fragments of pony anatomy flashing in her head as to where the safest location to draw blood from would be.

And while she looked hopeful to the future, Night Walker's mind was concerned on the present. _I hope the beginning feelings of regret for one's food does not last long for her. I would hate to think all of this would go to waste if I had preserved too much of her former self from the vampirism._

"Oh! One last question, I promise," Ruby suddenly said.

"Ask," Night Walker said as stood up.

"What do bat ponies eat?"

Popping his back he replied, "From what I understand, the Royal Sisters used a type of fruit bat as a template for the transition back to being normal ponies. It was supposed to be an intermediate stage but they never seem to have gotten past it. They can eat normal food but they have strong cravings for fruit, one of the reasons we picked this forest as it has some naturally growing fruit trees within it, enough to keep supplies stocked if rationed, but not enough to seem like a likely place for us to hide."

"Oh, okay," Ruby replied. She had more questions to ask just from the information alone if she ignored every other one in her mind, but held herself in check, deciding to spare the poor aching pony from further harassment from herself tonight.

"Let's get back to the cave. If you want I have some books you can read to bring yourself up to date on some things. You just fed so you shouldn't have to worry about harming anypony," Night Walker preemptively answered before Ruby could ask, her mouth open and hoof in the air in preparation of asking if she was safe or not.

As he began to walk back through the woods, only wincing now at putting down a single hoof, Ruby mulled over the experience. She wondered if nopony else's mind mulled over multiple facts at once, seeing how nopony else had yet to show the multitude of thoughts and question. But one notion did nag at her, a question about herself that had been spurred after learning the violent capability she and Night Walker possessed; a first hoof learned lesson that still made her feel awful just thinking about.

"Walker…" Ruby said softly, making his halt and turning around unenthusiastically at another question. "If we are so harmful to everypony, why do we even exist? Isn't the world better off without us?"

Night Walker's brows furrowed as his mouth fell instantly and his teeth flashed, grinding against each other in a flash of anger that made Ruby recoil. She could see his muscles visibly shake in what she assumed was a silent but hot fury before he took in a deep breath and closed his eyes. The sudden change from calm, to angry, to calm again threw the Ruby for a loop, not daring to speak as he remained still least she draw out his flash of anger again.

After some moments he let out a breath and opened his eyes, regarding her coolly before turning away. Speaking softly but loud enough for her to hear he said, "Don't you ever tell yourself you shouldn't exist. Not yourself, nor anypony else in this world."


	18. Chapter 18

"Are you sure you don't need help?" Ruby pressed, having refused to be more than a few feet away from him.

"I told you, I'm fine," Night Walker replied for the umptenth time. "I just need some time to rest, and I'll be good as new."

"If you say so."

Ruby bit her lip as she watch Night Walker wince while climbing up the small slope, then hobbled into the cave.

 _Figured it would be another day or two at least before she began using her magical abilities again,_ Night Walker thought. _I suppose this is punishment for underestimating things again. At least it's not a crystal coffin like last time._

He cracked his spine as joints rearranged themselves, causing him a feel good pain as joints rearranged themselves back into proper positions.

 _Been awhile since I've had a toss up like that. Makes me miss the times Grousom would argue against a plan of action. You really can't compare a friendly bludgeoning followed by a refreshing feast to todays way of talking and apologizing. Still, I suppose it saves some trouble in getting things down._

Closing his eyes momentarily to feel the regeneration spread across his body, Night Walker's ears twitched at the lack of hoof steps behind him.

Turning around, he looked back to the entrance and saw Ruby standing there, her eyes looking far off into the sky. She stood sideways as if caught in decision of coming inside or going back into the woods.

Night Walker watched her for sometime, waiting patiently for her to make up her mind before moving himself. Though he thought little of it, he had to admit that she had an air about her as she stood gazing into the night, her mane fluttering from the occasional breeze, and the moon reflecting her crimson eyes that appeared to be searching for something. For what however, he did not know, but he didn't need to. To him, she appeared very much as he did so many years ago. Young, fresh, and searching the night, going wherever his hooves took him.

 _I hope you will enjoy nights such as these as I do, Ruby. They will bring you much comfort in troubled times._

As he looked onto her, a fanciful thought crossed his mind, causing him to smirk. _If I were my younger self, I might have pursued such a beautiful mare. Perhaps someday once you've had a few hundred years under your saddle._

As time passed, a sudden sharp pain from his shoulder socket finally setting back in place caused him to grit his teeth. After it subsided, he looked back up to her and asked, "Ruby, what's on your mind?"

She breathed in sharply as her ears twitched at the sound of his voice, acting as if she had forgotten he was there. Turning her head towards him, she looked at him with wide eyes, eyes that were all too familiar to him.

 _Of course, how could I forget the look of a new vampony?_

For what he had mistaken as appreciation for the night, was in actuality the searching of the unknown for answers. He could see it plain on her face, her uncertainty of the world, of others, and of herself. It was that self contemplation of when everything had suddenly changed and your life was thrusted onto a new course. And he could only imagine how it was for a pony who had less than forty-eight hours of memories in her life. It was a short time to come to terms with everything, but it came with a lifetime of emotions to sway and guide her.

There were only a few things that had helped Night Walker in such confusing and thoughtful times, and he decided to gift her with it.

"Ruby, I'm going inside to rest. Stay out here as long as you need."

She blinked in surprise at the sudden freedom. "Are you sure? Shouldn't I not be alone?"

"It's fine. You're a grown mare and a vampony at that," he said dismissively. "If you need help there should be a guard around the cave entrance, and there should be some bat ponies collecting food in the forest. Just call out and somepony will come. All I ask is that you don't go far from the sanctuary. Your subjects and I would not like to lose you a second time."

"O-okay! I promise!" Ruby called after him as he descended into the passageway, a feeling of excitement and nervousness filling her. She waited until he fully disappeared, then looked out into the night, before she too moved, and made her way back into the forest.

* * *

Night Walker carefully treaded his way back into the cave, thankful that the more severe injuries were nearly healed leaving only the finer cracks and damaged nerves. When he entered the main section, he paused briefly to look over the groups of bat ponies. To his satisfaction, they appeared to have settled in well, and held overall good spirits.

 _I should get with some of the elders later and see if there is anything they can recommend in helping everypony's stay. Then Mist Hoof and Shade Flare to begin training sessions. Hopefully they have found a suitable stalking teacher now that everypony is here. The ones gathering food should be back shortly, then-_

Night Walker ran over list and plans in his mind, ensuring that everything was in place and prepped for the various events and plans he had. Eventually however, the beginning signs of a burning sensation appeared in his throat, and a sudden shift within him brought out urges that were not there moments before.

Scowling, he continued making his way down to the main floor, and towards the side passage that would lead to his alcove. He was able to afford small delays of greetings to bat ponies that crossed his path, and having quick conversations on how they were adjust and if they needed anything.

After fervent thank you's and assurances they were alright, he quickly headed down into the twisting passage, and into his own alcove, well away from prying ears and eyes. Immediately he made his way past various items, and straight to a chest that held a gem fixed onto its front, then flipped it open.

Within it, were many flasks that were chilled to the touch, as well as having a slight charge to them thanks to the magic that enchanted the chest. As he pulled one out and uncorked it, he felt the magic that kept it cool vanish, then slowly sipped at its contents.

 _Not as good as fresh, but it will do._

After a few mouthfuls, he pulled it away to let out a relieved sigh from the taste that tingled within his mouth, and at the fading sensation of the internal urges and burn in his throat.

 _I shouldn't have gone so long before testing Ruby like that. I of all vamponies know I can't afford letting such alter-egos out._

Feeling better already as his body absorbed the blood to help his regeneration, he admired the chest before him. _Quite the feat todays magic and technologies can create. We will probably need another ten or twenty units once things begin._

A smile spread across his lips as his mind begun imagining the possible scenarios that could play out. From the restoration of the hundred bat ponies within the cave, to the liberation of the rest of their kind in Dusk Town, to the feats they could achieve coupled with modern magic and technology.

 _Our dear benefactor is right. Today's time is truly one of opportunities._

As he settled himself to relax for his body to finishing healing, his thoughts were interrupted at the sound of hooves echoing down his passage. With a sign, he straightened his posture into something more dignified, then waited patiently for whoever was approaching.

"Good evening, sir," Shade Flare greeted as her round the corner, halting a respectable distance just shy of being inside the alcove.

"Good evening, Shade Flare. Is there something I can help you with?"

"I… I just wanted to see how everything went," Shade Flare said hesitantly.

Night Walker gave him a passive stare, before giving up and letting out a chuckle. "Really, you are too serious sometimes. You mustn't draw all your mannerisms from the guards that watched you. I assure you, you are not a bother. Please, come in."

Night Walker watched humorously as Shade Flare fidgeted at the entrance, then smartly entered and sat himself across from him.

"Forgive me, I just… I don't always know what is appropriate behavior I should strive for."

"Were you looking for appropriate behavior when you punched me that night during your training in Ponyville?"

"I… uh…"

"The answer is no, you weren't," Night Walker spoke for him, a grin on his face. "The most appropriate way for you to behave however, is by being yourself. I've had enough share of acting and being somepony else, so much that it is rather dull being able to tell when someone else isn't acting themselves. And to be honest, I much rather avoid the guessing games. Now, whether you are actually a military figure, or just the simple batpony who's trying to figure out the future of himself and the rest of his kin, I leave for you to decide."

"I'm sorry, I will…" Shade Flare began, before catching himself. Clearing his throat, he looked straight at Night Walker. "I'll will be myself."

"Good."

"... May I ask one thing though?"

"Of course."

"How can you remain so calm and carefree?"

Night Walker let out a laugh. "Why, whatever do you mean?"

Shade Flare's eyes flickered about with uncertainty, before he forced them straight again and pushed himself to continue. "We are fugitives of the Crowns, we are with no doubt being hunted as we speak. If we are found and caught, all the effort we have spent so far could go to waste. We could even…"

"Die?"

Shade Flare blinked in surprise as Night Walker looked at him coolly.

"Yes, we could very well die," Night Walker said. "But such is the fate of those who deal in death. I figured you of all ponies would have learned that by now."

"F-forgive me, it's just…"

"Shade Flare," Night Walker said suddenly without a hint of humor in his voice, drawing his attention towards him. "Everything is alright. If anything, you should expect things to go wrong. You should be prepared for everypony in this cave to be dead by tomorrow in the event we are caught by surprise. Such is the way of life of a predator."

Shade Flare looked at him thoughtfully, before turning his gaze downwards to contemplate what he said. "But… you wouldn't let them die, would you?"

"Rest assured, Shade Flare," Night Walker said, drawing his gaze again. However, when Shade Flare looked to him, he felt his very blood freeze at the piercing glare Night Walker gave him. "Anypony that harms our family, will face a very painful and bloody death."

The air became very still as Shade Flare felt his neck hairs rise under his eyes, before the mood passed and a much calmer expression washed away the vengeful demeanor. It had been such a dramatic change, that Shade Flare hadn't realized he had been holding his breath throughout it.

"Now to answer your question, things went well."

"I take it then that Twi… _Ruby's_ , performance was good?"

"It was exceptional," Night Walker said with a grin. "She was utterly ruthless, proficient, and acted without hesitation. She quickly took control of the fight and acted splendidly in all accounts. Had I not lain still after the last tree she shattered with my body, I imagined she would have continued mercilessly for awhile longer."

"She… she injured you that much?" Shade Flare asked in disbelief.

"That she did."

"To imagine that even I had been unable to even moderately hurt you…"

"Oh come now, you don't have a unicorns horn to assist you. Nor should you doubt your own abilities. I would say on a hoof to hoof fight, you have a fairly good chance of winning against her."

"Really?"

"Indeed. It actually makes me look forward to sparring sessions with the two of you later on. Maybe then I can start actually using my full potential." Night Walker gave a smug look at Shade Flare, who in returned exchanged it with a determined stare.

"Sounds like something to look forward to Midni- I mean… Night Walker," Shade Flare corrected once again.

Night Walker raised an eyebrow before letting out a sigh in understanding. "My apologies, one moment." Closing his eyes once more and focusing inward, a gesture Shade Flare had come to grown accustomed to, he visibly shook then exhaled outward. "There, much better." Opening his eyes again his face took on a more serious and less eccentric outlook. If Shade Flare had to give it a word, emotionless would be the best descriptive. "I've been rusty since my unsealing, easy to let a personality slip out now and then."

"Onto business then," Night Walker continued. "I need you to go to the southern edge of the forest. A delivery of supplies is arriving soon. Take one of the older bat ponies with you, and that bag over there as payment for it." Night Walker motioned to a brown coin pouch set aside by the cave wall.

Shade Flare went to retrieve the coins, curious as to whom the pony might be. "Is it wise to let him see us?" he asked while feeling the weight of the bag.

"He will be taken aback by your appearances, but certain… _agreements_ , his higher up and I have made will ensure he does not report you to the Crowns."

Shade Flare nodded in understanding. "Is there anything else?"

"That's all for now," Night Walker said simply.

With a respectful bow, Shade Flare dismissed himself and began heading back up the passageway, his mind focused on his new task. He decided he would pick one of the older batponies, one that would not question the obvious reasoning of remaining hidden in case something should go awry. The mentality of remaining hidden was well ingrained and practiced in the older ponies, the younger ones not having learned the lesson yet or were simply to energetic for it. The only pony near his age that held such outlooks was Ebon Wing, and he proved impossible to find if he did not want to. Only Night Walker was capable of finding him in his shadows and he was not about to disturb his healing time for such a frivolous search. When he left the passage and stood at the edge of the cavern, looking over the various nearby ponies to choose from, a sudden reflection crossed his mind.

It had hit him a few times before, but here he was, with a group of his fellow kin, outside in the world; no longer the prisoners he believed them to be in that town the princesses had built for them so long ago. Here they had a chance to be free, to live out a grander life than rotting in some town that nopony could find on a map. They had a chance of living outside those walls, but even the promise of escaping their slow and decaying fate came with a price that had seemed affordable at first but grew more concerning over time.

 _Ruby attacked him, no doubt in a similar manner to how I had. She probably was even willing to go as far as to kill him…_

The action made sense to him having lived it himself. He understood how a pony could become so wrapped up in their thirst that nothing else mattered besides that desperate and burning urge to drink. But even then he felt conflicted at the idea he was capable of such a thing, now even more so that the vampirism continued to wear off him much to his and Night Walker's dismay. It seemed that they truly needed an alicorn to fully reverse the effects the princesses had put on them. He did not understand the subject matter entirely, but what little he gleaned from Night Walker was that there were few magic's more capable than that of an alicorn; exampling its power a few times by referencing King Sombra, a unicorn Shade Flare heard to have sought and wielded alicorn magic ruthlessly.

But now that he was a batpony again, his own internal conflict at the path of life he had set himself and the rest of the ponies around him down upon nagged at him. Hunting things in good fun came naturally to bat ponies, even fighting. Perhaps it was the remaining after effects of generations from being descended from vamponies, but to do it in such a hostile manner, and to even kill?

Even if he would only kill ponies just to feed in survival, Shade Flare found it difficult to find a clear answer if everything he had done so far was indeed for the better. Yet, even considering the alternative was not an option, as he could not accept the state the bat ponies had fallen into, their stagnant and dying way of life only becoming worse with time. At times he had seen it in the eyes of the elder ponies, eyes that were dim and held no life. And even if he could not find an easy answer, and that becoming vamponies once again was the only way, he could never allow himself or the rest of his kind to live ever again with eyes like those.

He would never allow those lifeless and hopeless eyes appear again.

* * *

Ruby walked quietly through the woods, staring wistfully into its shadows and greenery. Her brain had spun endlessly at the two conflicting sides within her, both of them in the back of her mind facing each other off. She had grown tired, or rather overwhelmed at the struggle on how she felt over the fight with Night Walker ,and the knowledge that she needed blood to survive.

The blood of a pony.

That line had run back and forth so many times that she couldn't muster the energy to even contemplate it anymore, simply wishing to distance herself from everything and enjoy the cool night. And so she picked a random direction that did not lead to the bowl that was still sitting on the stump, unwilling to return to the scene of the self-induced debate.

The breeze played with her tail and mane now and then, bringing a slight chill that did not bother her, but rather felt refreshing. Watching the moon rise into the sky, she kept her attention on the environment around her, not wanting to give her mind a chance to come back at her in force with the internal conflict.

So she focused on the woods, to lose herself and enjoy the beauty of the night. The way the moonlight filtered through the trees, the soft grass beneath her hooves, the looming shadows the trees casted, all of it seemed so peaceful. Whatever instincts that had told her to be fearful of the dark before no longer existed, leaving her only content as she walked through the dark.

While the night held a certain mystery to it, she felt as if nothing could escape her attention should she choose to focus closer. The owl perched on a branch in the distance, a family of squirrels with young ones that scurried about their hollow, the sleeping figures of birds in their nests, to the slithering snake that she decided to give plenty of space to as she walked around it. Everything was revealed to her while she herself felt comforted in being shrouded in the shadows, a silent observer that confidently wandered the sleepy woods with all seeing eyes.

It was when she passed by a low series of bushes that the sound of a mouse squeaking caught her attention. Turning her head, she became very still as she noticed the tiny movement within tall blades of grass, and the lurking red form some distance away that had also taken notice of it.

Crouched low was a fox staring intently at the movements of the disturbed grass, its ears pointed forward and eyes unblinking. The mouse's continued shuffling indicated it remained unaware of the fox, similar to the fox being unaware to the silent spectator watching the unfolding event in awe.

Ruby was transfixed at the scene as it stealthily crept up to the flickering grass, only moving ever so slightly forward in tune with each movement the mouse gave. It was hunting that much was obvious, but the way it looked as it did, it somehow left Ruby feeling privileged to see such a thing. The way its body was perfectly dispersed in an even but loose stance, the graceful way it crept forward, the intensity of its focus on its prey, the twitch of its whiskers and the brilliant gleam in its wide eyes, all of it displayed the true markings of a hunter, a predator that was dealt death to those that were its prey. It was a creature that lived on the line between the beautiful and warmth of life, and the cruel and permanence of death. Ruby found it hard to breath in apprehension as she watched it hunt, noticing all of its performed behaviors with a sense of familiarity, each motion held in some recognition or understanding on an instinctual level..

Then, the fox became very still, and its muscles became tense. Ruby watched in awe at the approaching moment, when it would leap upon the unsuspecting mouse and flash its deadly fangs. A part of her felt appalled at being so drawn to such an event, but sure enough another part felt appreciation at the sight, seeing its cruel yet beautiful moments play out before her. The fox twitched slightly, readying itself for the burst of strength and speed, waiting for just the right moment to pounce. And just as the mouse inched forward yet again, still unsuspecting of the awaiting danger only some feet away, the fox leapt.

It had lasted only a moment, but to Ruby it seemed to have paused in time. The way its form held in the air, basking through the beams of moonlight that shone through, the red fur covering its body ruffling from the wind, and the intensity in its gleaming eyes. Its eyes held a depth of emotion and focus that she found impossible to put into words. They were eyes that if the mouse had seen in its final moments, it would have been petrified in their gaze at the overwhelming will they held. And just like that, it was over.

The fox landed, the mouse was caught, and promptly finished off with the snap of a jaw. The hunt had ended, and hard won meal had been claimed. Lifting its head from the grass, the fox held its kill tightly in its maw, the lifeless limp body of its prey dangling between its lips. It stared off into the forest, ears pricked forward for the signs of any other movement that may betray more prey or a competing foe. Slowly it scanned the undergrowth, turning its head until its gaze rested upon Ruby. Finally aware of the spectator, the two of them locked eyes, both remaining motionless as they contemplated one another silently.

Ruby felt her chest tighten at the exchange between them, wondering what to do in the sight of the hunter she had just witnessed perform beautifully. But as they regarded each other, the battle that had raged inside of her earlier gave away slightly. It was like a moment of calm and understanding suddenly swept over her. Staring at this predator who could only live through the death of others, whose eyes had once been cold and merciless as it hunted but now held a more lively and yet relaxed expression, she could not help but see apart of herself.

Here was a creature that killed, and did so to live. It did to survive so it may continue to walk these forests and exist apart of life. It wasn't evil, it was natural, part of nature as were so many other things. And as simple as that realization came, so too did Ruby's perception of the world she had come to only know for a short time. While a part of her still argued against everything she had learned so far of being a vampony, she now felt more at ease with it, a step closer to being at peace with who and what she was. She would need to drink blood, and she might have to kill ponies for that which still bothered her thinking about it.

But now, she felt a step closer to possibly accepting that fate in full. Night Walker's words rang softly in her mind, that she too had the right to exist. And nopony could argue against that. It was like arguing against nature itself. It was like saying that even the fox should starve, and never hunt again. That only the mouse had the right to live.

Then, the fox twitched its whiskers once, and slinked away, disappearing into the undergrowth. Ruby stared thoughtfully at where it had vanished, trying to understand all that she had gleaned from the spectacle. It may have just been a simple fox going about its daily life, but to her this night held a deeper meaning to it. It was a step closer to accepting a part of her that she struggled to find peace with or even agree upon.

And she wondered, would she ever fully accept her vampony side that conflicted her so?


	19. Chapter 19

Ruby retraced her steps back to the cave, and while her body stepped lightly throughout the undergrowth, her mind was a mile away; finding herself lost in her thoughts as she sifted through the emotions that had sprung forth since she had left the cave earlier that night. From seeing the hunting fox, to feeling the soft breeze caress her mane, everything about tonight seemed to have some hidden and deep revelation just waiting for her to understand and make sense of it all. It felt like all the answers in the world were around her, but she was unable to hear what they were. Even something as mundane as walking through the grass felt like it had some soul searching answer to a question she did not even realize she had.

But she wasn't plagued with only hidden answers, for her violent actions against Night Walker earlier over the bowl of blood still lingered in her thoughts. She still wasn't sure what to make of everything that had happened since she woke up tonight. She felt like she was trying to find some peace between what seemed to be two sides of the same coin, one that justified all of her actions, and another that was appalled for some unknown reason. Thinking about it logically, everything that had happened made sense and she came to the same conclusion no matter how she spun it. Everything _was_ justified.

She was a vampony. Vamponies needed blood to survive. They preyed on other creatures and are thus predatory in nature. They _need_ to be violent if they want to survive. There wasn't any way around it.

But yet… some tiny part of herself, deep down inside of her, just could not agree with everything, that it was all some horrible mistake, a nightmare that she will eventually wake up from. It was all these thoughts and feelings that caused her to feel such turmoil inside, a raging clash of thoughts and emotions that were only now beginning to subside in favor of her accepting everything that had happened.

Though she was coming to terms with the world around her, she was still trying to understand the turmoil of her inner world, and looked to everything else for some possible answer to quell it.

But how she would quell the conflict within would have to wait for another time as she realized she was already heading up the small slope into the cave, and was only minute away from her ponies. Just thinking about them caused the divide within her to cease, as if two forces were aligning for a common goal.

 _At least I can be certain about them._

Before she made the rest of the way up the short slope and into the mouth of the cave, the sound of hoofsteps from above her caused her to pause. Looking up, she saw Shade Flare and another, older batpony standing on the edge of the slope, their wings spread in preparation of taking flight. However, Shade Flare caught side of Ruby below him, and tucked his wings to his side and gave a small bow.

"Good evening, Princess Ruby," Shade Flare greeted. The batpony beside him quickly looked over him and nearly snapped to attention when he saw her. Tucking his wings as well, he bowed with Shade Flare.

"Good evening, Shade Flare and… Mist Hoof, was it?" Ruby said with a returning nod.

"Yes, your highness," Mist Hoof replied. "It makes me happy you remember my name."

"Of course I would remember," Ruby simply said, causing Mist Hoof to blush somewhat.

"Were you returning to the cave, your highness?" Shade Flare interrupted.

Ruby replied with another nod as well as a sigh. "Yes… I was just enjoying a walk through the woods. I figured it was probably time I should come back."

Shade Flare stared passively at her, before speaking slowly, "You do not have to explain yourself to us, your highness. You… are our princess… and whatever you wish to do is for your knowledge and your knowledge along if you so will. If you wish to take a walk through the woods, we can only oblige your desire."

Ruby flattened her ears as she looked back up to him sternly. "I'm not be the type of pony that keeps others in the dark. At least, I don't think I ever was…"

She looked up to them with a much more uncertain look, wondering if they were judging her in a similar way as the Royal Sisters.

Shade Flare felt his eyebrow twitch in annoyance, but Mist Hoof answered before he could.

"We meant no disrespect, Princess Ruby. I think Shade Flare only meant that you don't have to act so timid about your actions. It is a lovely night, and if you want to enjoy it, then you shall." He looked towards Shade Flare with a supportive smile. "Isn't that right, Shade Flare?"

"Yes… that is exactly what I meant…"

Ruby smiled shyly at the two of them. "T-Thank you. And I promise, I won't keep any secrets from you."

Mist Hoof gave her a smiling nod, while Shade Flare averted his eyes back to the sky.

"I apologize for cutting this conversation short, but we have an important matter to deal with."

"Oh… I'm sorry for keeping you…"

"Have a good rest of the night," he simply said before jumping off, and soaring across the clearing and near the tree tops, skimming their branches as close as he could.

Mist Hoof gave him a scowl before flashing Ruby a smile. "Have a pleasant night, Princess Ruby."

Ruby simply nodded to him, then he too lept and flew off, cutting through the air to catch up with Shade Flare.

When he did, and they were well away from the cave, he gave Shade Flare a curious look.

"Rather rude of you to jump off like that wasn't it?"

"I did not want to keep her from resting. She is still recovering, and needs all the time she can get."

"Didn't seem like it to me," Mist Hoof commented before turning his eyes forward.

Shade Flare raised his eyebrow, then did the same, the two of the spending the remainder of the flight in silence.

 _If only you knew as well that the mare masquerading as our long lost princess is actually royalty, the same kind that have kept us in that town for our entire lives,_ Shade Flare thought darkly. _I don't understand how everypony else can like her so much. It's obvious that she isn't our princess by how weak she is. She's far too timid and unsure, it's almost sickening that so much depends on her._

Shade Flare flicked his tail in irritation, knowing he could express it in very little ways while Mist Hoof flew alongside him.

 _I hope Night Walker plans to get rid of her once she has served her purpose. I don't know how much longer I will be able to stand her otherwise…_

* * *

Ruby had watched the two vanish into the expanse of trees before reluctantly she crossed the remaining distance of the cave and began the trek back underground, away from the open night sky that calmed her so.

Her mind once again lost in an ever searching state of mind she walked the enclosed underground path, her mood having only been distracted momentarily by Shade Flare and Mist Hoof.

Once she had reached the large cavern, she paused to take in the sight of the bat ponies going about their nightly lives. She held mixed feelings towards them that ranged from fascination and curiosity, to sorrow and motherly protection. She was their princess, and though they needed her help, she didn't know how she could yet.

She had just finished her trek down the high rise and to the main cavern floor before the soft yelling of a filly accompanied by a plethora of hoof steps reached her ears. "Princess Ruby! Princess Ruby!"

Turning to Lunar Pearl, she saw her as well as a small group of other ponies her age, their bright faces bringing a smile to her lips as she waited for them to run towards her. "Hello, everypony," Ruby greeted.

"Princess Ruby, you have to help us!" Lunar Pearl quickly said, wasting no time for pleasantries.

Ruby's face immediately flashed to concern as she tensed her body. "What's the matter? Is something wrong?"

"We need your help to find Ebon Wing!" Lunar Pearl cried, followed by murmurs of agreement from the other children.

"Ebon Wing?" Ruby asked. The name did not ring a bell from any of the introductions she had with the bat ponies last night. Feeling awful she had already forgotten a pony so easily, she quickly asked, "Is he okay? Where was the last time you saw him?"

"Over in one of the back passages!" A colt jumped in.

"Come on, Princess Ruby, we've got to find him!" Lunar Pearl shouted.

Ruby nodded her head firmly, ready to face the plea for help and do her royal duties of protecting her ponies.

"Lead the lead way!"

The group of children gave a small shout in joy and began trotting over across the cavern to one of the archways, Ruby following closely behind with a determined expression. It was when they had crossed half the distance when a stallion they passed by asked in alarm, "Is everything alright?"

Ruby skidded to a stop on her hooves as the fillies and colts continued onwards. "No, we need to get a search party formed immediately. The children told me Ebon Wing is missing. Were about to head down that passage there, can you gather more ponies and begin searching the rest of the cave?"

The stallion stared blankly at her before much to her surprise, began laughing. "I guess they got you in a lost cause to hunt for Ebon Wing again."

Ruby's mouth hanged open at how easily he dismissed such a worrying situation. "H-How can you act so calm? Ebon Wing is missing!"

A few other ponies nearby who had overheard the conversation began laughing light heartedly at her distressed behavior. Before she could snap at them for being heartless, the stallion raised a hoof to explain. "Ebon Wing is _always_ missing. He finds some spot to hide and lets the children try to find him. He's their baby sitter, though how good of one he is can be debated."

Ruby stared blankly at him for, then shuffled back into a more composed standing position as her cheeks flushed red. "Oh… I see."

A mare that was still laughing walked up to her and lowered her head respectfully. "It's alright, your highness. The young ones act like it's the most important mission in the world. We should have seen it before they startled you and stoped them. Our apologies for them roping you into a goose chase."

"It's okay," Ruby said quickly, trying to defuse her reddening face at acting so brashly. _And here I thought I was finally able to do something to help…_ "So Ebon Wing isn't in danger?"

"No, not at all. He does this kind of thing all the time," another and much older stallion chipped in. "That boy is almost always away on his own. He's probably the worst pony to be put in charge of the children actually, but they become so focused on finding him that it completely absorbs all their time and energy. He's actually saved a bit of headaches on the days they are really rambunctious," He gave a loud laughed at the end, and Ruby's breathed out a sigh of relief.

"But I suppose in the end he does look out for them," the senior continued. "Why, I remember when little Moon Tear had somehow managed to climb onto a roof to find him. Poor thing was scared senseless, but she decided to it anyways on a dare from the other children," he said with reminiscing eyes. "She had slipped and fell, caused my old heart to almost stop in fear. But Ebon Wing zipped out from the shadows at the last second, catching her in his arms."

He gave another laugh, this time ending in a horse wheeze as he cleared his throat. "He's a lazy and shy one for sure, and his ability probably doesn't help him get over that… but he has a good heart."

The red on Ruby's cheeks had completely faded at the end of his story. "I see, thank you for clearing everything up for me."

"Not a problem at all," the senior said with a wink.

"Princess Ruby, Are you coming?" Lunar Pearl's voice called from across the main room.

As Ruby turned her head to reply, another one of the bat ponies began moving towards the children for her. "Don't worry, your highness. I'll explain to them that they shouldn't be bothering you with things like this."

"No, it's okay," Ruby replied. When the ponies around her looked at her curiously, the saw her with a beaming smile. "I don't mind playing a few games with them. It's a tough situation we are all in, and they need to know everything is okay. What's better to help with that than their princess playing along with them?"

They were silent as they watched her make her way towards them, albeit at a much more relaxed and less urgent pace. She called out to the children as she approached, and let them gather around her, some tugging on her gently to get her to hurry up for the hunt. And soon, she and the loud group had entered the tunnel, their voices a gentle echo that faded away.

A loud 'humf' was heard from the senior, catching the attention of everypony who had witnessed the event. Looking to him, he raspy wheeze. "I like her."

* * *

"Ebon Wing! Where are you?"

'Oh, Ebon Wing! Come out, come out!"

The group of fillies and colts called out as they made their way through the cave, knowing full well he wouldn't answer, but had fun calling out voices echoed throughout whichever corridor they were currently searching, but even though they found no sign of the elusive pony no matter how many passages they had traversed down, their spirits remained high as they simply enjoyed the thrill of the hunt and Ruby's company.

They were simply content to prancing along side her, running ahead then back behind, and then returning to her side, asking if she thought a rock they found was neat or what was on her mind. Ruby answered each question happily, content at the wave of calm the rambunctious bunch of children brought her.

"Princess Ruby?" Lunar Pearl asked, possibly the filly most enamored with her.

"You can call me Ruby," she replied with a giggle. There was no way she could hold the adorable children on calling her by her royal title, not with how young and sweet they were. Her heart couldn't take the idea of separating them by status, and felt it right to remain as normal as possibly around them.

"Ruby," Lunar Pearl said in correction along with a smile. "How long have you been a vampony?"

"I'm not exactly sure."

"Oh, right," Lunar Pearl replied. She scrunched her face up slightly at attempting to come up with another thing to ask, but was beat to the punch by a young colt.

"Wuby?" he spoke softly and with possibly the most adorable lisp that made her heart melt. "Awe you going to help us become betteh?"

"If I can," she replied sweetly. "Night Walker and I are still trying to understand what is exactly wrong, but when we do, I promise we'll make everything better."

The colt gave her a big smile, then immediately ran ahead to a filly that Ruby noticed had been keeping some distance from the group.

"Night Gwass! Pwincess- I mean, Wuby!" he corrected, causing Ruby's heart to melt again. He bounded right up to her and stepped in front of her. "Wuby said that she can fix us! That means she can fix you to!"

"Really?" the filly she assumed was pronounced Night Grass replied.

"That's right," Ruby called over.

"What did she say?" Night Grass asked the colt.

"Well, I said that-" Ruby began before receiving a shaking head from the colt who briefly glanced her way.

"She said she was she was going to figueh out whats whon with us with Night Walkeh and then they can make you betteh!"

Curious as to why she was replying to her, Ruby made her way to them. _Could be that's she's still shy or nervous around me?_

When she only but a few steps away, Night Grass turned to look at her, then squeaked in surprise.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to sneak up on you," Ruby said soothingly.

Night Grass merely tucked her chin to her chest, and looked up at Ruby between her bangs. "Can… can you really fix me?"

"I'm going to do my best," Ruby replied. But as she did, she then noticed one detail about Night Grass, something she began to suspect to correlate as to why she did not respond to her. For when she spoke, Night Grass eye's were glued to Ruby's mouth, paying close attention to how her lips moved.

 _s she… deaf?_

A hopeful smile grew on Night Grass, before it was replaced with a scowl, followed by her promptly hopping away from Ruby. "Come on Cobalt Cloud, let's look over there!" Grabbing his hoof, Night Grass lead him away from her and the rest of the children, with Cobalt Cloud looking back towards Ruby apologetically.

Ruby watched her leave, her mouth hanging open with worry.

"Don't worry about, Ruby," one of the children said. "Night Grass doesn't like ponies thinking she needs help."

"Well she does!" another one exclaimed. "Her hearing is the worst! Sometimes I wonder if she can even hear at all sometimes. You see how she always has to look at our mouths to know what were saying."

"Hey, be nice!" Lunar Pearl shouted.

"What? It's not like she can hear us unless were like... talking right into her ear," another replied.

"I don't think it's nice to be talking like that though…" another one chipped in.

Ruby paid half attention to their conversation, for she was still watching Cobalt Cloud and Night Grass just ahead. Every now and then, Cobalt Cloud would glance back at them, a worried look on his face at being able to fully hear what they were saying. But it would always replaced with a smile whenever Night Grass turned her head to him, asking him to look at whatever she had found.

"I wonder how she can even read Cobalt's lips?" a colt asked in simple curiosity.

"Now that's enough! All of you!" Ruby snapped with a flap of her wings, having had her last straw on their conversation.

The group immediately crouched low and flattened their tuft ears, some of them even covered their heads with their wings. They had only ever seen Ruby a happy mare that was willing to play with them, but her new tone coupled with her flash of fangs quickly reminded them she was more than that. She was an adult, and even more so, the Princess of Vamponies, and they felt a sense of dread at having angered her.

Ruby on the other hoof, quickly retracted her wings and closed her mouth when she saw how terrified they had become of her. Even Cobalt Cloud had shrunken somewhat while Night Grass poked at a mushroom.

Taking a breath to recollect herself, she spoke softly, "It isn't nice to make fun of Night Grass. Just because she can't hear you, doesn't mean you should talk about her like that. Understand?"

Each one of them nodded their heads fervently.

"Good. Now, let's go find Ebon Wing."

Slowly, they picked themselves up, and continued through the cave with Ruby. Their timidness however, did not last long, and in no time they were back to their joyful selves of hopping off rocks and seeing how far they could glide. But as easily as their spirits came back, Ruby's firmly remained on Night Grass's dilemma.

 _I can only imagine how long it took her to learn how to lip-read. I wonder if she is completely deaf, or partial. The fact that she has a level speaking voice indicates she has some hearing._

Though Ruby's heart twanged as she saw her scurry about, looking over her shoulder every few moments to see where Cobalt Cloud was, the way she had scowled at Ruby when speaking about fixing her continued to flash across Ruby's mind, and with it, Lily Wing's words about Lunar Pearl.

 _"She has a chance of growing old as a normal filly like I've managed, but these days... it's becoming less promising for a batpony to make it that long."_

 _What do I do?_ Ruby thought helplessly. _I want to help her and the rest, I really do. But helping them means that they would be turned into…_

Images of the laughing children were replaced with those of snarling faces, their tiny white fangs that normally drink the juices of fruit covered in blood. Ruby found her stomach almost doing a flip at imagining them acting so violently.

 _How can I ask children to be turned into what I am? I understand the adults wanting to, that's their decision, as it was mine when I became a vampony. Or at least, it might have been… I'm not sure. I'll have to ask Night Walker later if he knows how and when I had transformed. But regardless, how could I turn them into me?_

 _I've been looking at this too simply, and I've been caught up with myself that I have hardly considered everypony else thoroughly. Even if we turn them back to vamponies—something I'm still unsure on how we will—how would we take care of over a hundred vamponies? What would happen to the children? Would they become more prone to violence at their young emotional states? How would everything be kept secret if the Royal Sisters are looking for us? What if they regret becoming vamponies and want to go back to their old life? Can we reverse it?_

Her mind began to race faster and faster as scenario after scenario played across. She was caught between two extremes. Change the fate of every bat pony to forever feed on others, or doom them to a slow and crippling extinction. And neither seem possible for Ruby to pick.

She quickly wiped away a tear that had formed before any of them saw it, her insides split into two at the dilemma of the entire situation, and she couldn't come up with an alternative to their plight, not until she at least had a closer look at the cause of their problems.

Making a mental note to get with Night Walker immediately at his plans for curing them, a change in the air stale air occurred, and with it, a scent that did not belong to her or any of the fillies and colts around her.

"Do you smell that?" Ruby asked. Immediately, each filly and colt turned their noses upwards, with Night Grass following shortly after seeing what everypony else was doing, and began to sniff the air. They eventually gave a collected 'No' when they could not pick up anything besides the natural smell of the earth.

"I think… it's over here," Ruby stated, following the direction she believed it to be coming from. _It smells like a batpony. Maybe it's…_

Moving more quickly, Ruby moved down the passageway with the children closely following behind, their eyes transfixed on her as she lead the hunt. The smell lead Ruby to a particular section of the rock wall and upwards, towards a small collection of stalactites above them. Narrowing her eyes, she could see clearly between them from the dim glow of the mushrooms, but was unable to spot any pony. Yet, her nose told her otherwise, and for some reason, the dark shadows seemed more prominent amongst the ceiling formations.. Focusing more closely, she stared unblinking at the section, willing for whatever was hiding to reveal itself to her.

After a minute of concentration, a strange tingle flashed across Ruby's face, and she could have sworn she saw a reddish light amongst the soft glow of blue on the stalactites. There was a pony there, of that she was sure. And she had a good idea as to who it might be and how it was so hard for them to find him.

"Hello there, Ebon Wing," Ruby said devilishly.

The children were about to open their mouths at why she was speaking to the rock, before the shadows above them began to blur, and drifting aside to reveal a troubled look of a batpony hanging upside down.

"Great, not only can Night Walker find me, but now you can too."

* * *

"So, Ebon Wing, how were you able to hide like that?" Ruby asked in earnest interest, smiling slightly at the bouncing children as they chanted victory at finding Ebon Wing.

The almost stallion aged pony kept his gaze away from her as he mumbled, "I… can wrap myself in shadows…"

"That's amazing!" Ruby exclaimed, genuinely excited about such an ability, and in part to pick up his mood. He had been acted distant and sour ever since they had found him, something the children were promising to never let him forget about.

Ebon Wing only nodded in reply to her praise, keeping his eyes cast ahead and downwards on the cavern floor.

"Well, I think you're very lucky to have something that like," Ruby said coaxingly. "And I also think you're a very nice pony to be looking after these fillies and colts." Ebon Wing gave a halfhearted hum in agreement, still not having lifted his eyes. _Come on, there's got to be something of you I can pry at,_ Ruby thought.

"Don't mind him, Ruby, he's always like this. Even when we don't find him!" Lunar Pearl said teasingly. "He's just a big doofus that never wants to talk to anypony."

"Hey!" Ebon Wing snapped, giving her a scowl as she stuck her tongue at him. "Who was it that scooped you up that night we all met Night Walker for the first time when we were almost caught?"

"Pssh, anypony could have done that," she responded nonchalantly.

"Wait, you were there too, Ebon Wing?" Ruby asked in interest.

He eyed Lunar Pearl for a moment longer, before glancing back at Ruby and turning his eyes forward again. "Yeah, I was there."

"You also said you were almost caught?"

"Yeah, some orange mare with a goofy hat. She apparently knew Night Walker from the way she talked about him, though she called him a weird name."

"Wait, she knew him?"

"Hmhmm," Ebon Wing replied lazily. "But I don't think she knew _who_ he really was, if you get my drift. He acted all weird in front of her like he was somepony else. He even told her about vamponies. But he sounded like a lunatic from the way he was raving about them. Kinda reminds me of some of the unicorns that visit us..."

"Well, I think you were very brave in protecting Lunar Pearl like that. Something she _should_ be grateful for," Ruby said while giving a stern look towards her. Lunar Pearl simply rolled her eyes and kept walking forward.

 _But still,_ Ruby thought to herself. _I wonder what Night Walker was doing with her. Who is she?_ After making another mental note, she continued. "Well, I'm just glad nothing went wrong by the sound of it. I would have hated to think if she had discovered you all."

"It's not like we could have taken care of ourselves," he said defensively. "Even if Night Walker wasn't there, we could have handled her no problem. She wasn't even a guard from the looks of it."

"You… would have fought her?"

"Well yeah, if it came down to it I guess," Ebon Wing said in surprise, finally turning his head to her. "It's not like we've been doing nothing all these years you and Night Walker had apparently been locked away."

"Oh? And what have you been doing?" she tactfully edged on.

"Well, we practice with the guard for training."

"You practiced with your captors?" Ruby asked in disbelief.

Ebon Wing shrugged. "They weren't all bad. Princess Celestia rotated them out now and then for some reason, but we were on pretty good terms with them most of the time. You'd only get the bad ones sometimes. But they would teach us some of the basics in their training, while we would practice by ourselves stuff like hunting. In fact, when Princess Luna came back, she even let some of us pull her carriage when she went on important visits."

"That… sounds pretty important," Ruby hesitantly replied, concealing the irritation that flared up at the idea of even a single batpony pulling the carriage for either of the Royal Sisters. She still could not remember who they are, but if they were indeed responsible for her holding and the tampering on the batpony race, then they were certainly not in good first impressions for Ruby.

Ebon Wing on the other hoof misinterpreted Ruby's pause and gave a small realization how much he had talked to her. He quickly diverted his gaze again and returned to his distant and standoffish mood from before.

Ruby painfully took notice of this, and opened her mouth to try and coax him out of his shell again as they entered the main cavern. But Night Walker's voice called out to her before she could. "Ruby! Please come over here."

Looking across the cavern, Night Walker along with Shade Flare, Mist Hoof, and various other bat ponies, were standing around a wagon that she figured was the delivery they had picked up. Ruby and the children curiously made their way over awhile Ebon Wing slinked away. As she approached, she noticed the wagon was filled with a variety of books that were being dumped out of large bags.

"What are all those books for?" Ruby asked curiously, a strange feeling of familiarity washing over her at the sight of the pile; her body automatically moved closer the wagon to begin inspecting the covers.

"Those," Night Walker said passively, "are a collection of books regarding magic. From Magical Basics 101, to Advance Theories of Transmutation. These, along with a few tomes of my own, will help your research."

"Research for what?" Ruby asked, her eyes still not having left through the various titles she shuffled about.

"For refreshing your knowledge of your immense magical abilities. And to help you devise a spell. The spell that will undo the tampering of the Royal Sisters, and restore everyponies vampiric heritage."


	20. Chapter 20

_One week later…_

Ruby cracked her neck, deciding afterward that it would be a good time to take a break from her reading. Saving her spot, she set the book aside and stood onto her hooves, stretching out the soreness that had accumulated from laying in one position for the night; much like she had done every night since the wagon full of books had been delivered.

She had been initially apprehensive at the amount of reading material Night Walker had procured for her, but discovered quickly she had a ravenous appetite for reading that was hard to sate. She dove into the books like a fish in water, and absorbed everything she read. In truth, she found that reading was now one of—if not her favorite—things to do; a fact Night Walker had confirmed for her after walking in and finding she had read three books in only a day and a half.

While she was well over halfway through the material and in a particularly interesting section regarding enchantments, she felt the need to take a break and get some much needed social interaction. She had felt bad locking herself away in her alcove and not mingling with her ponies as much as she wanted to, even if they all of them had expressed their understanding how important it was for her to study, and even support her isolation.

Ruby didn't know how many times the adults had scolded the young ones to not bother her during her research. But to her pleasure, they relented now and then when the children convinced them to at least allow them to bring her some food, and managed to sneak in a few minutes of time with her.

Though whenever they did, Ruby took her time eating the fruit they brought her. Had she not forced herself to eat them out of politeness, some of it would have surely spoiled from being left unattended in a corner. While the taste of the fruit they gave her wasn't bad per say, it just seemed lacking to her. She couldn't place a hoof on it, but anything she had eaten saved that bowl of blood seemed tasteless. It wasn't that they had no taste whatsoever, just that they seemed bland. But she ate them anyways, unable to deny such thoughtful gifts.

What was more odd for her though, was that since drinking the blood, she had yet to feel hunger but could still eat the food they brought to her. It was like constantly being stuck between a state of feeling satisfied in appetite but still being able to eat more. In all honesty, she doubted her hunger levels would have changed much had she eaten not eaten at all.

However, despite her desire to spend time with them, she had diligently put time into relearning all she could of magic, and to devising a spell to reverse the princess's magic. But she could only do it for so long, and decided now would be a good time to take a much needed break.

 _After all, what kind of a princess would I be if I couldn't even say hello to everypony now and then?_

Looking over the pile of books she had organized three piles that were marked as 'have read', 'read again', and 'yet to be read', Ruby gave her wings a quick series of flaps to shake the stiffness in her muscles, and proceeded out into the main cavern.

The underground sanctuary had become very much of a home in such a short time, becoming more familiar each time she walked about its expanse. It was hard to believe she had only been released from the Royal Sisters in little over of a week, yet it felt like she had been here much longer.

Everypony had seemed to have settled comfortably in their temporary home, now having stocked and organized supplies, pitched tents and blankets, and even a rug here or there to spruce up the cavern floor. The mysterious benefactor that Night Walker was in contact with had delivered more items a few days later, bringing in various items such as the things that now adorned the cave that brought about a more homely feeling.

Ruby had questioned if it was wise to risk contact with a pony that wasn't one of them, but was assured by Night Walker that his contact would not betray them to the Crowns. He simply left the matter that a pony of his status would not risk the benefits of working with them against the loss of his status in society for being discovered working with them, or the trouble that would come with angering a Vampony Lord.

While Ruby had initially felt appalled at the hinted violent and no doubt unpleasant act that would be delivered onto whoever it was, it left quickly at the reasoning of why it would needed to be done. She would be lying if she said that she didn't feel her blood boil somewhat at the idea of trusting a pony only to have them backstab her and her ponies later.

At times she wondered how much the Royal Sisters had tampered with her, figuring that it was their doing for the internal split sides of her struggling against her thoughts and actions. But she need only remind herself that she was a vampony, and grew to accept that sometimes unpleasant things needed to be done to survive; an attitude that thankfully was beginning to overcome her impulse that caused knots to develop in her chest anytime something besides sunshine and rainbows would become the topic.

The internal struggling was becoming less and less each day as she willed herself back into her old behaviors before being sealed, cornering whatever the sisters had inserted or removed from her against a metaphorical wall. In fact, that part of herself felt much tinnier than it was on the first day she had awaken, but still found it was very much alive whenever the matter of her subjects came up.

As she made her way, she looked about the cavern happily at the sight of her ponies going about their nightly routine. A few were carefully walking down the slope from the exit to the outside; fruit packed in their saddlebags from the surrounding forest. Some were going through supplies, checking through their stocks and deciding what would be preserved and what would be handed out. And besides the ones who seemed to be in relaxed conversation or otherwise, the rest were deeply involved in combat practice.

Night Walker had said that fighting was in their blood, having been the descendents of ancient warriors that the vamponies had been revered as, and needed to further connect to their roots as well as hone skills that they would no doubt need in the near future. He would often delve into stories by request at the prowess of their ancestors, how they were the masters of the night and could not be bested in any war in which they fought while in numbers.

As usual and much to Ruby's dismay, such stories did not bring any memories back to her. It seemed she could only recall fragmented various facts of the world rather than her interactions with it, which further confirmed on how quickly she grasped her reading material covering magic. It was like recalling memories of a past life in startling clarity as the words almost read themselves to her. But seeing the bat ponies train at first hoof, it made her wonder just how much more proficient they were in combat back in the day than they were now.

While they did not have weapons to practice with, they seemed very adept from hoof to hoof fighting to hunting; the latter being more stressed for in practice from Night Walker. It wasn't that they were bad at it, only that he forewarned that stealth and ambush would be very crucial for them to secure their previous positions in the world.

It was when Ruby was transfixed on watching two bat ponies duel in the air above the cavern floor that she heard the soft footsteps of a pony approaching her from behind.

"I never believed it growing up, but it seems all these generations of keeping tradition alive is finally paying off," the mare said behind her.

Turning her head, Ruby saw Lilly Wing standing next to her, also watching the aerial dogfight. Happy to see the elder sister again, Ruby spoke. "Ebon Wing had mentioned that you all were practicing back when you all lived in the Royal Sister's town. Did the princess's really allow such a thing?"

"They did and didn't," Lilly Wing replied. "For whatever reason, Princess Celestia allowed some practicing, even having a member of the guard teach a class on basic counter attacks. I kind of remember somepony explaining that it was to keep some familiarity in our heritage. But I found it weird how she and the guard would behave when they learned we were practicing things like hunting."

Lily Wing laughed suddenly as she recalled childhood memories. "The guards would always throw a fuss when they caught us in alleyways sneaking up to each other. Even more so when a filly or colt was brave enough to try sneaking up on a guard. Our parents would always scold us for doing such things in public, and especially on Princess Celestia's personnel."

Her reminiscent face took on a more distant look as her happy mood was dampened somewhat. "I would remember the how some of them would look at us whenever we did stuff like that. Not all of them had it, but some held a look of contempt in their eyes. Like… there was something wrong with us…"

Ruby looked worryingly towards her, eating herself even more at the fact she had been locked away and unable to help them. But just as soon as Lily Wing's smile faltered, it was back up again, her cheerful attitude she always managed to have except when worrying about her sister. "But I guess it makes sense since we're related to vamponies. To be honest, a lot of things now make sense. I always wondered what so different about us that would prevent the Princess from allowing us to leave the town."

Lilly Wing stiffened slightly when she felt Ruby put a hoof onto her shoulder, and looked to her questioningly.

"There's nothing wrong with you," Ruby said warmly. "The only thing that _is_ , is what has been removed from each of you."

Lilly Wing was taken aback from such a personal gesture from Ruby. As much as Ruby kept proving to her and the others, and as much as Lily Wing kept telling herself that she was a vampony, Lily Wing still had a hard time accepting the princess inwardly. Lilly Wing had grown all her life as a batpony, and had learned in time that bat ponies are the only ones you can fully trust. It was difficult to suppress her initial feelings whenever she looked at Ruby who lacked the leathery wings, tufted ears, and everything else that was so familiar. And she had to forcefully tell herself over and over that she was not like all the other non-bat ponies she had met, and was most definitely not like the Princesses who while always put on a friendly face, still always emitted an off feeling Lilly Wing felt towards her and her kind.

But the more she interacted with Ruby, the more she grew over those initial feelings of hesitation and resentment. Every day, she was slowly becoming the beacon of hope that Lilly Wing had feared would never arrive in their lives. However, when she realized she had not said anything, and had been staring wordlessly at Ruby for some moments, she quickly bowed her head. "T-Thank you... for coming to our aid."

"Please, you don't have to bow," Ruby said as she gently guided her back upwards. "I may be a princess, but I am a _Vampony_ Princess. And as such, I don't expect my subjects to act like that."

"Your memories are coming back?" Lilly Wing asked hopefully.

"No," Ruby replied as she turned back to watch the practicing bar ponies. "But Night Walker has been filling me in what we were like during our rule. Turns out that vampony leaders are in combat as much as their subjects are, treating each other as equals on the field of battle. Apparently, it's only in very formal times do we act so regally."

Lilly Wing laughed at that. "I guess that's good to hear. I would hate to think of you as a princess like the sisters who seem to let others do the work for them."

The two remained quiet for some time as they looked out to their kin, silently observing in interest whenever one would get the upper hoof on another in a duel. Eventually, feeling of the need to say something with the princess nearby, Lilly Wing coughed and decided to ask what had been going on in every other ponies mind.

"So… how is the research for the spell coming along?"

Ruby sighed in exhaustion. "It's going, but I'm still not there yet. I haven't even touched on any material that could even remotely do what the princesses had done to all of you."

Lilly Wing waited patiently for her to continued, but grew concerned at the thoughtful yet worried face Ruby held as she stared off. When it was clear she had been lost in her own thoughts, and had no indicator on when she would come back, Lily Wing asked hesitantly, "Is something bothering you?"

"Hmm? Oh… no, not really," Ruby said after snapping out of her mind. "It's just all this studying is getting to me, that's all," Ruby put out a weak smile, but its effect was lost.

Lilly Wing had a feeling that she was holding back, something she was hesitant to say to her, something she had seen many times from the faces of her elders whenever they dodged difficult questions like if she would be ever allowed outside the town. At first thinking it would not be wise to press her further, she recalled how Ruby had just mentioned such formalities were lost on vamponies, and that they were supposed to be equals in the field of battle. And from what she knew, comrades in arms did not let others suffer silently in whatever ailed them.

Taking in a deep breath for bravery, and hoping she wouldn't receive a backlash at pushing things, Lilly Wing asked, "What's really bothering you?"

"What do you mean?"

"There's something else," Lilly Wing said, daring to even narrow her eyes at her to send the point home that she wasn't going to be able to hide it from her. "You're worried about something. Can you please tell me?" While she was being assertive in the matter, she did not forget to at least be somewhat respectful..

Ruby was about to continue with the feign, but the stern glare from Lily Wing convinced her otherwise that she was not going to get away with it. Not even thinking on how easy it would be to use her royalty to tell her off, Ruby sighed and let her head hang down slightly.

"I guess… I'm just worried that the spell _will_ work…"

Taken aback in surprise, Lily Wing had to find her voice before asking, "W-What do you mean? Why would you be bothered on it working? Isn't turning us back into vamponies a good thing?"

"But that's the thing," Ruby said as she lifted her head. "Do you really want to become vamponies?"

"Of course!" Lilly Wing answered immediately. "That's why all of us are here. We risked our lives to escape to have a chance at restoring our heritage. Why wouldn't we want to become vamponies once again?"

"Because… you will have to drink blood…"

Lily Wing became quiet, taking the deeper meaning of that sentence in full. In truth, the idea of possibly killing another caused her chest to tighten, but another resolve overpowered it easily as she puffed out her chest with a deep breath.

"Princess Ruby," she said, ignoring her known dislike for the full title in casual conversation. "I know you know of how we beat ponies are currently living. And I understand why you are concerned for us on that regard. But everypony knew full well of the things necessary to be vamponies. Each of us knew exactly what we were getting into, and still chose to come because we believed it better than living the alternative."

Lily Wing looked Ruby dead in the eye, her amber slits holding a fierce determination as she spoke. "We know this isn't something easy, and ponies will die because of it. But we're not going to sit by and watch ourselves fade away into history. We've already been lost to who we once were already…"

Before Ruby could respond, the shrieking of a filly in joy cut through the cavern. Turning both their heads, they watched as one of the stallions was tickling the belly of the children, pretending to be a monster chasing them about the cavern. Ruby looked to them sorrowfully as she mustered her next sentence.

"But… what about them? Is it right for them to have to been thrown into that kind of life? Even if it's better than what it was before, can we really put blood onto their hooves?"

Lily Wing was silent for a long time as they watched the group of children play, eventually ganging up and tackling the stallion onto the ground. Although they were using hunter and prey tactics on their larger foe, bringing him down with commendable precision for their age, their smiling and laughing faces made it hard to imagine them performing said action with the goal of not tickling back their opponent, but instead to kill.

Eventually Lily Wing spoke, and it was quiet as she did.

"It's funny…" she started off slowly. "I overheard one of them asking their parents when they were going to go back home, that they were missing their bed and other friends." She smirked at the sight of the stallion breaking free and running a short distance, only to be tackled again by the group of children with fits of laughter.

"We brought them with us because we believed it was the best decision for them. We convinced ourselves it was for their future, so they wouldn't have to live a life locked behind walls lined with spears. We wanted them to see the world… even if the world resented them for who they were."

Swallowing a tightness that had built in her throat, Lily Wing finished confidently, but even then her uncertainty of it was heard in the tone of her voice. "Their vamponies… and that kind of blood that spills others already runs through their veins. And as awful as it might sound… I prefer the loss of another to that of my sister."

The two of them watched the children in silent thought as they eventually hopped off the stallion, laughing all the while as he ruffled their manes and commented on their hunting skills. Eventually one of them turned to Lily Wing and Ruby's direction, giving out a happy shout at finally seeing the princess outside of her alcove. Once the rest of them had caught noticed of one of them rushing towards her, the rest followed in suit, their happy facing quickly surrounding Ruby in a bombardment of questions.

Eventually, Ruby and Lily Wing got them all to calm down from their initial excitement, reassuring them that Ruby would be able to spend some time with them before locking herself into deep study once again. It was then that Ruby got the idea of a way to spend some quality time with them, and still give her a chance to do her new favorite pastime.

* * *

Night Walker watched with a critical eye on how the bat ponies were performing combat wise, throwing a word of advice to them now and then between the duels. They were fairly skilled in his opinion, but still lacked much experience they would need in real combat. He needed them trained as quickly as possible, least their current hideout be discovered by the scouring forces of the Royal Sister's.

His benefactor had revealed that they were searching the land fervently for Twilight Sparkle, but there were only rumors of her disappearance outside of the scouting forces. Much to Night Walker's surprise, they had not made an official announcement of her kidnapping, possibly to keep everypony from a state of panic he reasoned. But given the state of Equestria, he understood such startling news would be met grievously from the country, even potentially causing mass panic at the idea of a princess going missing.

But the word was spreading nonetheless, causing a slow but steady build of unrest within Equestria. Twilight Sparkle's absence was not to be taken quietly it seemed, and the news would only grow as time wore on. Eventually, he concluded that the growing situation of fear and worry could be put to use later down the road.

But for now, he only needed to bide his time until he could muster a sizable force of vamponies before reestablishing a hoof hold in Equestria. With the combined strength of Equestria and the Crystal Kingdom, he would have to move carefully and precisely. While a group of vamponies was no laughing matter, they could still be defeated by the more advanced magic of today's age and the princesses, both of them a force to be contended with.

He had briefly flipped through all the books he had given to Ruby, verifying all of it would be useful to her and skimming the latest collective knowledge of spells. He had made it a point during his first few months of release to ascertain the state of today's world and its magic, both of them exceeding his expectations with new marvels everyday that surprised him. Even the cities were far above that than the olden times, housing sprawling expanse of stone and concrete that reminded him of a jungle of rock.

 _Speaking of which,_ Night Walker thought to himself. _I should check on Ruby's progress._

Excusing himself from the senior bat ponies that helped oversee the training, Night Walker made his way to Ruby's alcove. During his previous checkups, he was amazed at how quickly she poured through the tomes, doing what should have been a months' worth of reading in only a week. Her speedy re-absorption of magical spells and theories only pleased him that things were progressing ahead of schedule. It was in hindsight, that the magical book he had left her to help bide time and distract her during her thrall phase was probably devoured immediately. He had greatly underestimated her abnormal reading skills, but was confident that the next time he introduced the book to her, its quality of content would keep her occupied longer.

As he drew closer to the her room, her voice could be faintly heard speaking aloud, accompanied soft giggles now and then.

"-and Sir Feather Man dashed through the wood, nimbly dodging between the various monsters and plants that swiped at him for their nightly dinner…"

Curiously, Night Walker peeked around the corner of the alcove, and saw a sight that might have melted the heart of any other. Ruby was sitting with her legs tucked beneath her, her horn glowing softly as she held the levitating a book in front of her, while around her, was every filly and colt that resided in the cave, each snuggled up against each other and to her as close as possible.

Some lay flat beside her front hooves, their heads resting against her forelegs as they looked at the floating book, others laid beneath Ruby's outstretched wings, snuggled beneath a blanket of feathers as they looked to the ceiling in imagination to her spoken words. And one of the smallest of the group was standing on her back, their head resting against her glowing horn as the colt attempted to look down at book from his vantage point. In fact, the only ponies who weren't pressing themselves to the alicorn was a colt and filly laying in front of her, the filly intently watching her face as she spoke.

"Oh! Hello, Night Walker, I didn't hear you coming," Ruby said when she took notice of the him peeking in, causing the head of everypony to turn his way.

Tossing on a smile, he strode purposefully into the alcove. "I see we're having a lovely reading session here."

Ruby blushed slightly, hoping he wasn't upset that she was spending her time reading to the small group instead of studying. "I was just taking a quick break from my research, and thought the children could use something to pick their spirits up. Spending so much time in a cave like this can be a little much for them."

To her relief, Night Walker chuckled as he replied. "Do not worry, you are only doing your duties as Princess of the Vamponies. You are looking after our kin." Ruby blushed even more at the compliment. The children watched in silence at the exchange between the two, Lunar Pearl especially who started off with a blank expression that slowly turned into a suppressed grin as she hid her mouth between her hooves, thinking she knew exactly what was going on between the two.

"Well, I wouldn't want to interrupt the story telling anymore," Night Walker announced as he turned to leave. "But when you are done, I would like to find me so we can continue with your studying."

"Do you have another book for me?" Ruby eagerly.

"No, what I am going to teach you on cannot be found in any book," he said with a sly grin. "With how much you covered already, I think it's time we re-familiarized yourself on a very important ability."

"And what's that?" she asked, growing more curious by the moment.

His lips parted faintly at the prospect that another step was about to be taken on restoring his vampony subjects to their former glory, only having a little ways more to go before his work would see fruition. He replied to Ruby's question with two words.

"Soul Sight."


	21. Chapter 21

Later in the night, after having spend some quality time with the bat ponies, Ruby made her way to Night Walker's alcove. To her surprise, she found a bat pony standing by the entrance, who relayed to her that under Night Walker's orders, no pony was to disturb them.

Though Ruby thought it was a bit extreme, she merely nodded and continued past, even more curious at exactly what Soul Sight was and why Night Walker included the extra measure of not being bothered.

Shortly she made her way through the twisting passage, and knocked lightly on the side of his room even though she suspected he already knew she had arrived.

"I'm here."

"Please, come in and have a seat," he called.

Entering, Ruby glanced about his alcove, having only been in it a few times herself. To her initial surprise on her first visit, she found that his room was smaller than hers. However, his was more cluttered with items, even after she received the large volume of books. There were chests and saddlebags that made her curious as to what they contained, as well as various scrolls and parchments stacked in neat piles.

She made her way to a spot on the circular carpet that sat in the middle of the room, large enough to allow at least half a dozen ponies to lay down albeit close to each other, and sat down, tucking her legs beneath her.

"How are the children doing?" Night Walker asked as he rolled a parchment and made his way to join her.

"They seem to be doing well. Besides a little boredom of having explored all the passageways, they're finding things to keep them busy."

"I'll see to it that some trails are made in the forest so they can stretch their legs and wings more."

"That's… actually actually a good idea," Ruby said, surprised that he had made the suggestion. "But aren't you worried about them being caught?"

"I've had Shade Flare position more scouts near the edge of the forest. If any guard approach, we will soon know about it. Besides, it will be good for everypony to be able to get out the cave. Despite some similarities, we aren't bats, and I think you would agree that it would be best for now not to induct the children into the combat training."

"Y-yes, your right," Ruby stammered. "I'm sorry, I guess I am just still a little worried."

"And you should be," Night Walker said flatly, drawing Ruby to stare at him directly. "We are refugees and fugitives. Everyday we spend here risks a chance for us to be discovered. But we must make due with what we have, and keep morale high. Despite how well of a face each of them put on, fear and worry still plague their hearts. It is our job to rectify that."

"Of course," Ruby agreed quickly, caught by the speed and control Night Walker had over the conversation. He was the only pony that had such an effect with her, and she found it hard to establish something that he had not already somehow accounted for. If anything, no matter how much she worked, she always felt as if he was one step ahead and more prepared on any subject they discussed. He even held a large amount of knowledge regarding magic much to her surprise.

"But I cannot monitor and defend them myself," Night Walker continued. "For you to help and read the hearts of our ponies, it is time you relearned an ability some are privileged to use. The fear and often misunderstood power, of Soul Sight."

Night Walker cleared his throat for what Ruby was sure would be a lengthy discussion, and shifted her legs beneath her to make herself as comfortable as possible.

"Soul Sight," Night Walker began, "as it is aptly named, is the ability to see into another creature's soul. While many ponies have pondered over the ages exactly what it is, including the Royal Sisters who refuse to acknowledge it as a proper form of magic, its secrets are known only to those who are capable of seeing it. If you can observe it, you can manipulate it. And if you can manipulate it… then nopony is outside your reach," he added with a sly look. "Their has been very rare instances of ponies being able to use it since birth, but it is more common for those who have faced death to develop the ability. You and I fall into the latter," he stated with a pointed hoof.

"I… died?"

Night Walker paused for some moments, before closing his eyes. "Forgive me, I sometimes forget what you do and don't know. Yes, you have _died_ , but it was only for a short time." Thinking to himself for a moment, he let out a defeated sigh as he finished, "I supposed I should just probably re-introduce you to everything regarding vamponies, seeing as you still don't remember anything."

"I would like that," Ruby said gratefully. "But I'm curious as to why that kind of knowledge isn't coming naturally to me like everything else. If I've been a vampony for so long, shouldn't I remember things like that like I do with magic?"

"The princesses were trying to remove your vampirism, and no doubt they would probably remove your memories of it as well. As I said, I had to return you back _into_ a vampony," Night Walker coolly answered.

"So I died twice?"

"Well…"

"I guess it depends on how much of the vampirism was removed," Ruby continued, bringing her hoof to her chin. "I still don't understand the mechanics of how it all works, but I guess if I knew how they kept me sealed and what they did to me, I could deduce if I did indeed died twice. I wonder how that would affect me in performing Soul Sight. Would it make it easier for me to manipulate? Or would it simply allow me to see it more easily? How many times can a pony even die?"

"Ruby."

"Yes?"

"…May I please teach you the basics first?"

"Oh! Of course! I'm sorry, please continue," she said with a blush.

 _This mare…_ Night Walker thought to himself, suppressing an twitch in his eyebrow at how she always remained so analytical regardless of the situation. He had been learning quickly that her thirst for knowledge could potentially outweigh his thirst for blood.

"As I was saying," he resumed followed by a deep exhale. "A soul holds the essence of a pony. When you see the soul, you will see the complicated and ever shifting structure of who that pony is. While it won't reveal particular details such as their name or exactly what they are thinking, you can see their emotional responses to events in real time, their general personalities, and overall health and structure of their mind."

"Should I be writing this down?"

"Sorry, I'll do it later…"

Night Walker shook his head in reply. "Don't bother, there's no point in recording any of this at this stage."

"Why's that?"

"Because I believe experience is a better teacher than a teacher. Or a book," Night walker said with a smirk. "Let's start by making you aware of your own soul."

"Oh! Okay," Ruby said cheerfully, unable to contain herself as she shifted her legs beneath her.

"First, you need to _relax,_ " he emphasized with a small smile. "You're much too excited to be able to sense the subtle sensations you will be picking up."

"Right," Ruby replied in affirmation, looking much more serious about the matter than a few moments ago.

"Now, close your eyes, and listen to what I say…"

Night Walker guided her into a twenty minute relaxation exercise, easing her anticipation into a much more manageable level that would not distract her focus. During his guiding, he reminisced briefly on the days that were only a month or two ago when he could put her into a trance at the flick of a hat, something he was unable to do so now. Hypnotizing her was simply no longer an option now that she was a vampony, a fault that he sorely thought over much back in the day. While it wasn't impossible, the effort required simply was not worth it. A command here or there might eventually settle in, but impactful changes he always enjoyed setting were just not possible on something that had died before.

But that didn't mean he wouldn't take pleasure at teaching her how to hypnotize others by herself. Night Walker always found some joy at spreading one of his favorite techniques to another pony. It was one of the many reasons why he was referred as the "Alluring Shadow" in poems, showcasing how ponies would become captivated by his presence the most out of the Four Shepards; tempting others to fall before him or to spread his techniques.

"Now that you're relaxed," Night Walker said soothingly, "draw your focus inwards, and imagine a sphere nestled within your chest. It doesn't matter exactly how you imagine it right now as we're just practicing and getting you used to the concept. But eventually you will be able to see how it really looks and-

"I see it," Ruby whispered.

Night Walker paused, and tilted his head towards her. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I said… I see it," she repeated softly, an edge of wonder on her voice. Night Walker was utterly speechless as a small smile spread across her face and her eyes fluttered lightly beneath her lids. "It's… beautiful. There's so much to it that I don't even know where to begin."

Ruby saw a soft glowing sphere within herself, becoming aware at the same time of its ethereal yet tangible feeling that made it appear like a balloon made of Jell-O within her chest. Its insides were a series of rounded shapes and strings; connecting to each other with such complexity that she felt that she could easily become lost within its web work if she tried to trace each line. She could literally see how her emotions would connect to certain parts of her, and how much they would react if other aspects of her became active. How what she assumed was her ego, could so very easily flare up when anypony besides those not close to her would doubt her capabilities, or how her mind was held in a very rigid and firm shell that could lock out any connection it held, allowing it to override anything else that may affect its decisions. It was the flowcharts of her entire personality that defined her as who she was.

But what made her catch her breath, was the deep crimson coloring that accented her soul. She did not fully know, but she was certain that what she was looking upon was the vampirism inside her, and she could only admire how beautifully it was placed within her, evenly balanced across nearly every fiber of her soul.

"This is incredible," Ruby breathed out in awe.

"I… am pleased to see you took to it so quickly…" Night Walker replied.

His hesitation drew Ruby's focused away from herself, causing her to wonder about his reaction. _Is he disappointed? Did I do something wrong?_ She was sure he would be happy that she was easily able to use Soul Sight again, an ability that seemed to be crucial in being a vampony. _Maybe…_ she thought slowly, an idea forming within her head. _Maybe I can see why he's bothered._

She cautiously opened her eyes, not wanting to make any sudden movements that would cause the second sight to fade away; its use took constant concentration from her, and she did not want to lose so quickly something she had become so captivated on. With her eyelids half open she locked her eyes onto Night Walker, and stared deep into his chest, and what she saw made her gasp.

She was no expert on how a soul should look, or at least couldn't remember if she was. But even she could not deny that what she saw within the vampony lord made her pause in shock and worry, for it was nothing close to hers.

Night Walker's soul was an organized chaos of colors, fibers, and shapes. Each piece of emotion appeared grotesquely shaped, yet was separated into different sections, almost as if each emotion could be activated to varying degrees. The bridging fibers that were the connections for each piece of the soul appeared to be multiple pieces merged into one, branching off where Ruby somehow felt they should not naturally be able to. And even stranger were some fibers that appeared to be floating off, completely separated from any adjoining pieces, but still vibrating slightly in efforts to reposition themselves back into whatever place they could fit.

To her, it seemed as if his soul was a massive collection of connections and overly formed pieces that strained to move and snap in random and haphazard ways; none of them seeming to be natural positions in the slightest. And while her soul held beautifully blended variations of her soul and the vampirism, Night Walker's soul was drenched with varying mixtures of the red. It permeated into just about every ounce of his being, causing her to wonder exactly what kind of effects that would bring onto a pony. The sight of it almost made her not want to know as a feeling of dread crept into her. But what was more shocking than the amount of it and how it was placed about him, was the addition of the color black set strongly into the darkest and deepest recesses of his soul. Of all the things that he was composed of, those jet black pits entranced her with a growing sense of wrongness at their presence.

During the few seconds she had managed to glimpse into his soul, wondering how in Equestria he was even able to function, a loud and disapproving cough snapped her out of her second sight.

"It's considered _rude_ to view another pony's soul without their permission, especially another vampony" Night Walker said darkly.

With her sight of their souls vanishing in an instant, Ruby shook her head at a lingering sensation from her eyes and flattened her ears apologetically. "I-I'm sorry…"

Night Walker held a slight scowl to his face, eyeing the mare with a glare she had not seen on him before, but eventually sighed and turned away from her. "The lesson is over."

"Walker, I really am sorry," Ruby pressed. "I had just gotten so caught up in it all that I couldn't help myself but take a peek." She waited for a few moments for a reply, and continued desperately when he still said nothing. "Please forgive me…"

When it was clear that he did not intend to respond Ruby guiltily hung her head and proceeded to stand up. "I-I'll go…"

As she turned around to leave the room her ears twitched at the sound of a sigh escaping the his lips. "No… it is I who should be sorry." Turning his head towards her, he suddenly looked very tired, an expression she had never seen on him she realized. "You did not know, and I should remember how curious you were. You're intentions were innocent… and I shouldn't blame you for wanting to know _who_ I am."

Ruby swallowed in hesitation. She was happy that he forgave her and was not shutting her out, but she wanted to inquire further on what was obviously a very personal matter for him. "…M… May I ask why your soul looks like that?"

Night Walker's eyes drifted away as he stared off into a piece of the room, taking his time to answer. "...Having to do what I have done… does not come without consequences."

Ruby instinctually opened her mouth to ask more, but decided otherwise when she looked upon him. He always held a certain mood to him, a passive calm that dictated how he saw things with only rare spurts differing behavior now and then. She believed it to be how he always saw things so logically and level-headed, a trait she very much admired in him. And though physically he looked like a stallion who had only been an adult for a few years, at that moment, he looked as old as his true age.

She wasn't sure if it was because of the way he held himself, or the way his eyes stared out in some unseen world he saw within his mind, but Night Walker looked old, worn, and very tired. She was smartly reminded then of how many centuries he has lived, and what things he might have seen during those times.

She wondered if her memories ever came back to her, if she would look like him as well.

"Let's call it a night, the sun will be up soon," he simply said.

"Okay… good morning…" Ruby said gently as she turned to leave again.

"Oh, I nearly forgot," Night Walker said in a slightly more cheerful tone. He pointed a hoof onto a chest in the roof, directing her to a book lying atop its wooden lid. "That's for you."

"What it is?" she asked while moving over to pick it up.

"Just something I figured you would enjoy reading through. I promise I haven't looked at it myself. After all, a diary is such a personal thing."

"My diary?" Ruby exclaimed in surprise.

Night Walker finally gave a grin that seem to fit his face so well. "Yes. It had taken a bit to find, but I knew you would want to see it again. Even if you can't remember writing in it, I'm sure it will help clue you in on your past."

Ruby flipped open the cover and flipped through a couple pages, eyeing with wonder at the written words that filled the book, still coming to terms with the fact that she would ever find something so personally from her time of ruling so long ago.

"Night Walker… I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything, just read it, and get a good day's rest."

Ruby gave an appreciative smile. She had no idea that she was the type to keep a diary, but was glad that she was. She could only imagine what was written inside, and had to hold herself in check from running out of the room at that very moment to retreat into her alcove and dive right into it. She had been so caught up with everything else that had been happening that there had been little time left for her to explore herself, who she was before this mess and what she had done. But now that she had such a personal item written by herself of all ponies, maybe now she would finally have a chance to remember who she was.

Ruby clutched the book against her chest at the excitement and hope that fluttered in her chest. "Thank you, Walker, really… thank you."

Night Walker only gave a content humph and laid down all the way. He still looked tired to the her, but he seemed better now. She made a second mental note to not bring up such a sensitive topic regarding himself again until she knew more. She didn't like seeing the usually calm but jubilant stallion so down or passive.

Turning away from him to head out and back to her own room, Ruby gave him one last glance, taking every detail she could about him before she left. When he raised an eyebrow at her curious behavior, she simply flashed him a smile and proceeded out. "Sweet day, Walker. See you later tonight."

Night Walker waited until she had gone some distance down the rocky passageway, before resting his head back onto the ground again, staring intently at the wall in front of him as he brooded over the situation.

Recapping everything that had just happened with her to bring some order in his thoughts, he picked apart each instance in reverse in attempts to focus on each troubling aspect to understand them better.

 _Firstly, she has the book, and it is filled with personal encounters, thoughts, and feelings written as closely to her personality as possible. It is the only evidence to show that she was truly alive back in the day. The dam thing did take some time to write, but hopefully it will take her longer to read and think about than its previous contents of the Corpus Nocte Morsu._

He still had trouble believing how quick she could read, always peeking into her alcove and staring in disbelief at how many she had read in that day alone.

 _Second, she peered into my soul…_

Even recalling the moment caused Night Walker to grimace. He had not expected her to see her own soul tonight, let alone his. But when she had opened her eyelids, and that familiar glow of white shined out from her eyes, he realized that she saw him for who he was, even if it was a single glance.

And out of all the things the vampony lord would tolerate with a smile, or simply push aside as if did not matter or was worth his thoughts, having somepony else see into him was one of the few things that had always greatly unnerved him to no end. He could never find the exact words to express why he was so bothered by the fact, thinking it was perhaps due to him not having the advantage in a situation, or the fact somepony else would be able to see what he had done to himself over the years. But either way he hated it, and would not tolerate it if possible. Even if it was from the mare that was the key to the bat ponies restoration.

 _I can only imagine what she thought about it,_ he mused in his hot flash. _The amount of red permeating my soul has only been matched by few vamponies. And none of them were strong enough to overthrow me._

But thinking of all the times he had inspected other souls of ponies, the final and perhaps most pressing issue rambling in his brain came into focus. While she had been looking at him, he had been looking at her.

When she first said that she could see her own soul, Night Walker immediately switched to his sight, wondering how such a thing could have been possible. No vampony has developed their powers so quickly, and he figured that it would at least taken a month for her to develop the ability; an amount of time that would be unimaginable for anypony to achieve but reasonable estimate for such a talented pony. But on a first try? That was simply unheard of.

But when he did gaze into her being, he was left in awe at the sight before him. Never before had he seen vampirism placed about a pony in such a way, never before had he seen it so delicately balanced and reinforced, and never before had he seen one's soul become so beautiful after being accented by its touch. It was almost as if her soul had been created with the fact that one day she would become a vampony.

But he knew such an ideal was foalish to consider.

He was there when she did become a vampony, and her soul most certainly did not look like that. While he was good at his work, he wasn't _that_ good. Although he had not peered into her since her transformation, partly because he was confident the changes would progress in the way they always would, and partly because he did not wish to expend the energy in checking on something that should be normal. But it was very apparent now that he should have invested more time into check ups. At least then he would have become aware of her quickly her vampirism was developing and could have been more prepared for it. Which now begged the question that had been rattling around in his brain since he first saw her soul.

 _What in the Night happened to have her turn out this way?_

He spent a long time running over the possible answers in his mind, staying up late into the morning in brooding thought, considering each possible answer from her being an alicorn, to her cutie mark and affinity of magic. But none of those seemed likely answers based on his experience with them.

He growled softly in frustration at what could have been responsible for such a change in her, a change he had never seen in any vampony in his entire existence. There had been nothing else that was so different that could have warranted these results.

 _All except one…_

With widening eyes in realization, followed by narrowing them to slits at what was the only possible answer, he gritted his teeth and whispered darkly.

"The Elements of Harmony."

Though he had never seen such a soul of a vampony, and could only dream at the potential Ruby Sparkle would have, he did not like being in the know or working with variables he was unaware of. He had underestimated the Elements of Harmony, something he berated himself for. They had exceeded his expectations that night when he observed the girls trying to reverse the vampirism in her, but this was far beyond anything he had considered.

"Elements of Harmony… how so _appropriately_ named. I never figured they could literally bring harmony to something like that of the soul."

With a deep breath that made his nostrils flare, he mulled over the nights experience over and over to make sure some other detail would not be missed or unaccounted for.

And to prevent himself at being risk of such a situation again, he stared resentful at his cave wall when a chilling notion crossed his mind.

 _What else could the Elements have done?_


	22. Chapter 22

_-and while I feel that the others may feel difficulties in carrying out my decision, I none the less believe it is the right choice. Night Walker has expressed minor concerns, but overall stands by my choice, just as I have done for him._

 _I hope the repercussions of this act will not estrange us further than we already are, but it will ultimately secure our positions and livelihood in this region. And we cannot lose any more ground…_

Ruby stuck a purple feather into the book, feeling it an appropriate bookmark for such a personal item, and closed it with a thoughtful look. She had just read an entry where she had come to a decision on wiping out a village of troublesome ponies that were the main resistance in the area. They had been gathering other local towns in efforts to combat the vamponies encroaching onto their lands, and were building a sizable force.

From what she gleamed from her journal entries, the amount of land and villages purely under control of vamponies were few and far between, completely dwarfed by the neighboring countries and kingdoms. Vamponies seemed to have favored mercenary work in the stead of conquering armies, taking out high targets or even at time armies with a small but elite force. And while they would have loved to increase their numbers, it was a fine balance to have well feed troops when your livestock was ponies. Thus it came down to slowly over the years expanding territory when a new influx of vamponies had been initiated, or more workers were needed for more trade goods.

The ponies under the vamponies rule were separated, but treated fairly by Ruby's account of her mentioning them. It seemed that they were given plenty of supplies to fund their own operations and increase their productivity. Ponies under their watchful eye rarely were ever attacked for fear of their master's wrath, and income was almost always inbound due to the quality of their goods or spoils of war. Ruby had even read a line of her being amused at a saying that had reached her ears from the surrounding towns.

 _Life is good when vamponies war, for they drink the blood of our enemies rather than our kin. May they never be given a moment of peace for the sake of our health, and our trades._

And while Ruby did not find the same feeling amusement from the line, she was in awe at the type of pony she had been all those years ago. She was strong, cunning, fair, and often thought of others so that their lives may be good. But she was equally deadly as she was kind, and there had been a few recounts of times where foalish ponies had aroused her ire in such a way that she had left none alive. She was to be feared as much as she was to be loved, and she cared about her ponies so much that she had been willing to go great lengths for them.

That part of her she still felt was alive and strong. The urge to protect those around her that depended on her guiding wings, to ensure they lived comfortable lives while growing all the while to reach higher in life. So it was with renewed pain that she felt her chest torn in two, created by the fact that she had been kept away from her ponies for over more than a thousand years. And to top it off, the Royal Sisters were the ones responsible for casting her ponies into such a state of degradation and suffering. They even had the gall to remove Ruby's memories of them so that she could never help them again.

Just the thought of it brought forth a rancor in Ruby, causing her fangs to grind against each other and her hair to stand on its edges.

To her delight and anger, she had found an entry or two that mentioned the Royal Sisters. It seemed they were during those times, simply other players in the struggle for control of the land. Though they were alicorns like Ruby, they did not have the foothold they held today. They were one of the more promising candidates to gain control over Equestria, but were rather passive in their actions, preferring diplomacy over violence against the other kingdoms.

Ruby had wanted to tear out the pages that mentioned them after reading, but decided against it in favor of nursing a cool anger that had been building since she learned about them. She still didn't know how she and Night Walker had been imprisoned, or why they did what they did to her, but at this point she simply did not care. Her curiosity was to the reasons of their actions was a tiny flame dwarfed by a bonfire of anger and vengeance.

She mentally made a note to ask Night Walker later the details of their capture and anything else of the Royal Sisters that he knew of. She would need as much information as she could muster if she were to stand up against them and restore her ponies to their former status, something that would be inevitable now that they held all of Equestria under their hooves.

Which led her to another question, one that doused her burning flames quickly. _This new world is so different than the one we used to live in. Just where exactly do we fit in?_ Sighing to relieve the trailing bits of frustration leaving her chest, she looked thoughtfully to the ceiling for some answer. _What are we supposed to do now?_

Having no answer come to her mind, she decided now would be a good time for a break reading, and perhaps take a walk outside. Night Walker had said that tonight's moon was very lovely and that she should take some time beneath its glowing light. While she would have preferred flying beneath its light, ducking above and below the clouds like she wished to do ever since they had arrived to the cave, she knew it would be too risky to expose herself like that. Even if they were being searched for by normal pegasi who lacked her night vision, she couldn't take a chance at them being discovered and putting them in danger.

 _A walk will just have to do, it's been awhile since my last one_ , she mused, trying to muster hopeful thoughts at the disappointment of not being able to fly. She had been outside a few times since her encounter with the fox, having found a particular path she enjoyed that made a loop with the forest back to the cave. Her spirits brighten as she thought more about it, itching to stretch her legs after spending the last few days in more study and practice.

She had made much more progress in her magical studies, and she had thankful found out there was no shortage of bat ponies to be willing practice subjects for her Soul Sight practice. Ever since Night Walker snapped at her for peering into his soul, she had made it a point to always ask before looking into another. And now that she had done so, she believed she was getting a grasp on exactly what was wrong with them.

It took some time to figure out the general portions of the soul and what they represented, even with only her soul to reference from, feeling that it better not to pry into Night Walker again, but she slowly began to find the anomalies plaguing the bat ponies.

Similar sections inside herself where the vampirism held strong bonds, appeared nearly torn and fragmented within the bat ponies. It was almost as if it had been ripped from them barbarically, and was healing as best as it could. To her surprise, the only thing keeping those sections together was a faint trace of magic.

Night Walker had explained that the Royal Sisters had used alicorn magic to transform them over the years, and with some experimentation, Ruby found she was capable of casting the same type as well. But it's power proved difficult to handle, and it fell out of her grasp easily. What was strange to her however, was the method of how it worked. It was unlike any other magic she knew, or even vampirism from what little Night Walker had explained to her. Alicorn magic used something Night Walker had called Soul Resonance, the effect of bouncing energy back and forth within your own soul to build a powerful wave. It had only taken a few tries for it to quickly fall out of control and break apart, while also leaving residual effects that were not physical pain, but close to it as if her very soul had cracked under the pressure; if such a thing was possible. Though she did not know if it was.

Even worse, was that the magic was a sickly black and green, and had left purple trails emanating from her eyes. Since then, she had kept away from it, and chose to only study it within the bat ponies, preparing herself for the eventual time she would need to remove it from them.

And so it was with all her thoughts of study, Soul Sighting, hypotheses on how to fix the bat ponies, reading her diary, and the vengeful desires within her that she felt now was a good time to go for a walk, and clear her head with some fresh air.

Ruby exited her alcove and passageway with a relaxed pace, taking her time to reach outside as she let herself de-stress and simply enjoy the moment. She entered the cavern and glanced about with a smile, giving hellos to anypony that had come near her as she made her way up the slope. A quick inspection of everything showed that most of them were either busy with combat practice, or in deep conversation amongst themselves. The pile of fruit looked to have been restocked recently, and everypony seemed fairly relaxed within what some were beginning to call a sanctuary.

Ruby felt a longing desire to spend more time with them, enjoying their company at every moment and helping in any way she could. Some of them had been taken aback at the request she had once made on helping them weave baskets, and had given her reassuring pleas that it was alright to not trouble herself on such a mundane task. But she had insisted and plopped herself down onto the cavern floor anyways, and had attempted trying to make one herself. She quickly learned that she was terrible at it.

The bat ponies had suppressed their amusement at seeing a fabled vampony princess grow frustrated at jumbled pile of supplies which quickly became broken pile, but were unable to contain themselves when she had looked up sorrowfully to them with twigs and leaves that somehow had manage to lodge themselves into her mane. They had immediately shut their mouths at the sound of their laughter, but a low giggle from Ruby that eventually became fits of laughter put their worries aside as they joined her laughter.

She felt they were still uneasy on exactly how they were supposed to act around her, but they seemed to be understanding that she was a princess they could be themselves around, and enjoy even the little moments instead of a distant and ruling figure. Ruby wondered on how she had become such a ruler, mingling amongst her subjects in a way that was not often reflected in her diary. Perhaps she was just always like this, or maybe she had learned by example from another pony. Either way, she thoroughly enjoyed her time with them.

She had even learned exactly how they lived in the town that was called Dusk Hoof, what their daily routines were like, and how they were treated by the guards. Some of them had been nice, but others ranged from distant or troubling caretakers that simply wanted nothing to do with them. She even learned of a tale of one guard that had fallen in love with a mare batpony and risked his life and position to be with her some few hundred years ago. Unfortunately, it was a story that did not end well.

As she approached the top ledge before the exiting passageway topside, a tiny voice called out to her.

"Ruby wait!"

Turning around, Ruby smirked at the sight of Lunar Pearl rushing up to join her, her wings flapping lightly to help her gain ground.

"And exactly what do you think you are doing Lunar Pearl?" Ruby asked teasingly.

"I wanted to go with you on a walk!"

"Lunar, you know young ones aren't allowed outside," Ruby stated.

"Yeah, but that's only without adult supervision! If I'm with you, then it's alright. And what pony is better for watching than the princess?"

Ruby lifted her chin as she stood in a royal pose, looking to think heavily on the matter. When Lunar Pearl's initial smile dipped into a unsure frown that her foalproof reasoning was going to be rejected, Ruby chuckled softly and wrapped a wing around her. "Of course you can come with me. If you had let me finish what I was saying, I would have said the same exact thing. You got to stop rushing everything."

The words of advice were lost on Lunar Pearl as her grin returned with force and she cried out with a happy 'yay'.

The two of them made their way topside together, Lunar Pearl slightly in the lead and Ruby just shortly behind keeping a watchful eye on her, both of them smiling along the way. It wasn't long before they stood at the mouth of the cave, looking out into the forest as the moon peeked behind various clouds that drifted lazily across the sky.

Ruby looked upwards in yearning, wishing to feel the wind beneath her wings and soar the open sky she had first been introduced to since she had woken up. She would at times have dreams of flying the sky once more, and she could not await the night she would be able to soar freely once again. But for now her duties and responsibilities of being a princess were more important, and she already promised to herself that she would put them above her own whimsical desires.

The two made the short trek down the loose stones that separated the cave entrance and the clearing, but Ruby paused in her descent as she noticed off to the side of the clearing were two young bat ponies sitting in the grass. Narrowing her eyes as in attempts to make out who they were, a the voice of a mare from above answered for her.

"Young Night Grass and Cobalt Cloud, your highness."

Craning her neck up, she saw batpony perched above the cave mouth, only a part of her body revealed from a crevice she appeared to be hiding herself, a quick reminder that a guard was stationed near the cave at all times; though some of them Ruby had never seen them.

"What are they doing out here?" Ruby asked.

"I'm not entirely sure, but I've been keeping an eye on them so they don't enter the forest."

"Night Grass likes to come outside and sit in the tall grass," Lunar Pearl said. "She doesn't hear much, but the few times she does hear is when there is nopony else around to make noise. I think that's how she got her name is because she likes to sit in the fields and listen to the wind blow and move the grass."

"She can't hear other things, but she can pick up those kind of noises?" Ruby asked.

"I don't know… maybe she just likes to feel them brushed against her?" Lunar Pearl replied.

Ruby decided to leave it alone and turned her gaze back onto the two ponies in the distance, noticing that Cobalt Cloud become aware of them and was staring back.

"And what about Cobalt?" Ruby asked.

"He just likes to keep her company, and sometimes tell her if anypony is coming close I think," Lunar Pearl stated.

"Hmmm," Ruby simply responded. "Do you think they would like to join us on our walk?" she offered.

"No, Night Grass likes to do her thing and not be bothered," Lunar Pearl said grumpily, recalling a few times the filly had attacked her, all because she didn't find the idea of sneaking up and catching her by surprise fun. Since then, she had learned to be a bit more mindful of Night Grass, but had somehow managed to become somewhat friends with her; at least more than other fillies and colts were. But she still didn't come close to how she always tolerated Cobalt Cloud's company.

"Well, if they are still out here when we come back, how about we pick them up and I read a story to you three?"

"That sounds perfect!" Lunar Pearl exclaimed before rushing down the rest of the way and onto the grass.

Ruby smiled at her energetic behavior, then turned up to the guard. "Has Night Walker returned from his trip yet?"

She shook her head. "Not yet your highness. Shade Flare had instructed me that he won't be planning to return for at least another day. But rest assured, I will keep a diligent eye out for him in case he decides to come back early."

Ruby gave a simple nod in affirmation, then made her way down to join Lunar Pearl.

Cobalt Cloud kept his gaze locked onto them as they entered the forest on the other end of clearing where he and Night Grass laid. Ruby was confident that while he had heard their voices, he had not heard what they said. Her heart melted somewhat at the sight of him and his watchful but protecting eyes while Night Grass laid motionless in the tall grass, her head up in the air and her eyes closed as if she was focusing intently.

Ruby watched them as long as she could before the trees eventually blocked her vision, then she turned her attention to the makeshift trail she had carved out for herself during her time here. It wasn't recommended to explore far on your own, but everypony needed some exercise and fresh air. To her surprise, her simple trail had become a popular path for the bat ponies to stretch their legs. The young ones would be lost in awe at being in a new place they had never seen before, and the adults felt safe as it was the same route she would used, and was still within the patrolling routes the guards on the forest's edge watched. With all the walking on it, the trail had quickly becoming flattened with each set of hooves, making it easier distinguish from the rest of the forest and all its turns and twists.

Ruby discussed whatever topic that came into Lunar Pearl's mind, deciding to let her take control of the conversation. They talked about her life back in Dusk Hoof, and whatever new thing caught her eye in the forest. Many of the plants and animals they saw while they walked were ones Lunar Pearl had never seen before, and quickly became captivated by the way they looked or moved.

Though Lunar Pearl was very interested in the forest, she had heard from the other children that there was a bear seen in the forest, and if you got lost on the trail, it would come and gobble you up. But whenever she heard a rustling that might be the noise of a hungry bear, she only needed to look up to Ruby, and felt her fear dissipate, confident that she and her could handle anything that would dare cross their path.

But it was when a strange smell that wrinkled her nose caused her to halt, and quickly end what she had been talking about. Ruby opened her mouth to ask what was the matter, before she too caught wind of the smell. It made Ruby's pop open and a tingle run down her spine.

"Ruby?" Lunar Pearl asked quietly. "What's that smell?"

Ruby did not respond, for she was too captivated by the tempting scent that nearly all of her thoughts were completely focused on it. The smell, of blood.

It was only when Ruby felt a tug at her leg did she snap too and look down. "Ruby? Are you okay?"

"Oh… oh yes. Sorry about that, I just… got a little distracted by that… _smell_ ," Ruby said slowly.

"Is… is that what blood smells like?" Lunar Pearl asked.

"Uhmm…"

"It is blood, isn't it?" Lunar Pearl pressed.

"I…" Ruby replied hesitantly, before another sound reached their ears. The sound of a pony moaning in pain.

The two of them turned their heads to the source of the noise, sounding like it came from only a short distance away and slightly off the trail. It was the voice of a mare from what Ruby could tell, and she was most definitely hurt by the way she sounded. She was even able to make out a few words between the groans of 'help' and 'please'.

Ruby was completely frozen on what to do. She was sure it wasn't a batpony from the cave, which meant that it had to be a normal pony from outside. A pony that somehow had stumbled through hole in the patrol route, and was uncomfortably close to their hiding spot only a twenty minutes' walk back the way they had come from.

 _Is it a guard? Or is it just a normal pony? What do I do? Should I go get help? Or… do I leave them there. But they're in pain! UGH! What should I do?_

Ruby found herself locked in internal conflict as how she should respond, trying to call back on her diary entries on how she might have handled the situation back in the day.

 _Do I help her? Do I just leave her there and hope that she doesn't find the cave? Or do I…_

She felt her tongue threaten to slide out her mouth as the smell of blood wafted across her nose again. _Or do I drink?_

Still unable to come to a decision, her focus was brought back as Lunar Pearl started making her way towards the noise. "Lunar Pearl!" Ruby hissed. "Don't go any closer!"

"But she's hurt," she said in a worried tone. "We got to help her!"

"We don't have to do anything," Ruby said, trying to not breathe in any more of the smell. As tempting as it was to perhaps put herself in a situation for the opportunity for a drink, she was not about to risk Lunar Pearl in case something went awry, let alone let her witness Ruby feeding if she chose to. "We're going back to the cave."

"But, Ruby!" Lunar Pearl shouted, eliciting a shush from her. Lowering her voice, she said again, "But, Ruby… she's hurt. And she might be a nice pony."

Ruby's eyes shifted back and forth between her and the direction of the noise and smell, finding it harder with each moment to convince herself to just turn away there and then.

Eventually she reasoned a single glance at exactly what they were dealing with wouldn't hurt. With a sigh she said, "Fine, but we're just going to _check_ on her. That's all." Lunar Pearl nodded quickly as she turned back to make a trail through the undergrowth. "But we're to be quiet and not reveal ourselves. And you're staying behind me!" Ruby hissed.

Slowly they made their way between the trees, careful not step on anything that would make a noise as their eyes glistened in the night, picking up every detail of the forest easy as the moved forward. They followed the sound and smells, until they froze after passing the corner of the tree, Ruby immediately putting a hoof in front of Lunar Pearl to prevent her from continuing forward any further.

Ahead, beneath the shadows of the trees, was a mare lying on the ground, her hoof held to her side. "Ugh… I'm in trouble if somepony doesn't help me soon…" the mare said softly. With a groan as she shifted about again, she sucked in a breath to shout louder, "Is anypony there? Hello?"

They watched the green colored mare shakily lift her head and glance about the forest, her eyes desperately searching the woods for some sign of rescue. She had a saddle bag lying beside her, its contents spilled out. The mare looked to be just a simple traveler or perhaps a camper by the look of the items and the sprawled out sleeping bag they had failed to notice the first time. It seemed that she had an unfortunate experience that had left her on the ground in pain, and near a the cave full of on the run bat ponies.

Ruby sucked in another breath as the mare removed her hoof to inspect her wound on her side, revealing the blood that had matted her coat. It didn't look like a fatal wound, rather more painful than life threatening, but it was still enough to make Ruby's tongue salivate, and to stir a small burn in her throat.

The last time she had drank blood was from the bowl that night when she fought Night Walker, and had been careful to not use any of her powers since so as to prolong the inevitable thirst that would come again. But she figured she had at least another week or two before the cravings would kick in. At least, she would have if she had not practiced her Soul Sight as much.

Ruby mentally berated herself at forgetting that Night Walker had warned her at one point that even Soul Sight would drain her reserves, and now it had led her to a difficult position. She assumed by now that the pony was just a hiker exploring the countryside, and that she had three options on what to do with her.

 _A, leave her here and hope she doesn't stumble to the cave, as well as warn the nearby guards to not interfere with her. B, help her and send her on her way. Or C… drink…_

Ruby figured that while it risked revealing herself, that option B would be the best bet. Even if the mare did not die, Ruby had no idea if she was expected to come back to her home wherever it might be. If she went missing, there would be no doubt a search party sent to find her, and there was simply no way to know if she had told anypony where she had gone to.

And the same scenario would play out if Ruby killed her, another option that despite the growing burn in her throat she was heavily against with Lunar Pearl nearby. Either way, those two options would possibly give a time limit on when a search party would enter these woods, and eventually find the cave. Ruby still didn't even know if there were any towns nearby, but she could not discount the possibility.

After reasoning, she decided though the riskiest, she would help the mare out of the woods, and hope she didn't come back. A nagging feeling in her chest that seem to emotionally agree with the decision also supported the choice, leaving Ruby little doubt in her mind that it was the way to go.

"Lunar Pearl," Ruby whispered, drawing her wide and astonished eyes from the mare. "I want you to head back to the cave while I deal with this."

"But why?" she asked back in a low tone. "If it's because you're going to drink I don't mind. I promise!"

Ruby looked aghast as she turned to her. "Lunar! Why in Equestria would you want to watch that?"

Lunar Pearl rubbed her foreleg with a hoof as her eyes shifted away. "I know it's not something the grownups like to talk about around me, or any of the other fillies and colts. But that doesn't mean I don't know it's going to happen. It's no secret that we eventually will have to drink it…"

"But that doesn't mean you should be watching it at your age!" Ruby exclaimed as softly as she could. Bringing a hoof to her forehead she sighed in frustration. "Lunar… even if I was going to drink from her, which I'm not by the way, it's not something I want you to see, let alone have you experience someday."

"But why?"

"Because you have to hurt other ponies to do it!" Ruby hissed. "I don't want you to have blood on your hooves if I can help it!"

Lunar Pearl's tuft ears flattened as she crouched down, her eyes looking away from Ruby who was currently giving her a stern glare. But the hard facade faded away she Ruby heard the quiet sound of sniffling.

"H-Hey… what's wrong?"

Lunar Pearl buried her muzzle into the ground as a tear dripped down her face, mumbling something that Ruby couldn't hear. Ruby immediately took on a much more concerning outlook as she knelt down by her and wrapped a wing around her. "Shh, shh, don't cry. It's okay…" she cooed while she rubbed her back with a hoof. "What's the matter?"

Lunar Pearl mumbled again with her face in the ground, still muffled enough by the earth and grass for Ruby not to hear. "I'm sorry, Lunar, but can you please say that again? This time, without your face in the dirt maybe?"

Still sniffling as she lifted her head, Lunar Pearl took in a ragged breath before she squeaked every so quietly,"… I don't want to die…"

The words had barely left her mouth before Ruby scooped her up, and wrapped her with her arms and wings, covering her as much as she possible could. "Shhh," Ruby cooed again with a voice that threatened to crack. "You're not going to die. Who told you that nonsense?"

With her sniffles and hard breaths becoming more relaxed as she felt the warmth of Ruby all around her, Lunar Pearl quietly whispered, "N-Nopony told me… I … overheard it from one of the guards and unicorns that look at us. T-They… they said that we might all die someday… and…" Lunar Pearl dug her face deep into Ruby's chest as she gripped her with her tiny hooves, nearly shouting into her coat, "I don't want Lil's or me to die!"

Ruby held her even tighter as her own tears started to leaked from her eyes, pulling her wings around the filly as close as she could. _Oh Lunar… I can't imagine how hard this has all been for you… I can't imagine how confusing everything seems right now…_ Ruby tilted her head down so she could rest it against the filly's cheek, pressing into her softly but firmly in a protective embrace. _By the night… what am I supposed to do!? I just want you and every batpony happy…_

But the moment ended as quickly as it begun, when the voice of the strange mare reached their ears. "H-Hello? Is somepony there? I heard something… hello?"

Ruby scooted herself and Lunar Pearl closer behind the tree, making sure they were still out of sight. She warily peeked around the corner, eyeing the mare that was currently looking in their direction. It still wasn't too late to just leave now and never let her see them, but that still didn't solve the issue of somepony coming to find her if she wasn't able to make it back to wherever she was from.

"R-Ruby?" Lunar Pearl managed to say after a catching her breath.

"Yes, Lunar?" Ruby replied while still watching the mare from the shadows.

"I think… I think that we should help her…"

Turning her gaze back to the filly, Ruby looked questioningly at Lunar Pearl who took another deep breath before continuing. "Sh… She looks like a nice pony… and she's hurt. So… shouldn't we help her?"

Ruby's eyes fell as she replied, "It isn't that easy of an answer Lunar, we don't know how she will react."

Lunar Pearl was beginning to look much better after her outburst and seemed to be returning to her usual self as she wiped away the last remnants of a tear. Speaking more confidently, she said softly to Ruby. "But weren't we looking for somepony to do the same for us? I mean… we're hurt and nice, so shouldn't somepony help us like we should help her?"

Ruby opened her mouth to argue, but stopped herself in defeat. This wasn't a world that was so simple or innocent as the eyes of a young filly might perceive it to be, but she couldn't argue any further against her pleading or the accompanying feeling in her chest that seem to resonate with her words. Looking back to the mare one last time, Ruby narrowed her eyes in deep thought, and eventually sighed.

"Alright… we'll help her."

Lunar Pearl's eyes lit up and opened her mouth to mutter something, but was quickly shushed as Ruby continued, "But you are still going back to the cave, got it?"

She was about to argue against it, but the glare she received from Ruby was clear enough she wouldn't have it any other far. So far she hadn't seen her command another pony to do something, but if this is how she did it, then Lunar Pearl understood fully as to why anypony would jump right away on the task.

"…Okay…" Lunar Pearl said quietly.

"Good," Ruby replied with a nod of her head. "Now run along while I deal with our guest."

Ruby waited until she couldn't see Lunar Pearl down the trail, and waited a minute or two to check if she could hear anything, but the little batpony was simply too quiet to begin with to even hint if she had indeed continued onward. Trusting that Lunar Pearl would follow her directions, Ruby turned to the matter at hoof; a still talkative mare that had managed to get herself into a sitting position.

Taking a deep breath in mental preparation for whatever may come from this risky move, Ruby tried her best to ignore the smell of blood as she called out loud enough for the mare to hear. "Hello? Are you hurt?"

The mare's head quickly turned to the sound of Ruby's voice, her eyes wide and shifting as she scanned the darkness. "Y-yes! I feel from a tree I had been climbing and hurt myself! Can you please help me?"

"You fell from a tree?" Ruby asked in disbelief as she stepped into view.

The mare's eyes locked onto Ruby right away after revealing herself and wearily laughed, happy to see a pony was indeed nearby for her rescue. "Heh heh, yeah… It was kinda stupid of me when I think about it. I was trying to find a good spot to see the stars from a high branch, but slipped and fell. I nicked my side on a sharp bit on the way down."

"Uhm… wow. Yeah, I agree, that's probably something you shouldn't be doing," Ruby said with a forced laugh, trying to feel out the situation and deciding to roll with the mare's humor. "Do you need help getting out of here?"

The mare nodded thankfully. "That would be wonderful, but there's no town for miles. Honestly right now I just need help bandaging myself and getting a fire going. Maybe I could join your campsite?"

Ruby hoped the mare wasn't able to see her panicked eyes in the darkness as she approached closer. "Well… to be honest, I don't really have a campsite."

Ruby was able to clearly see the green mare rise in eyebrow in confusion. "Then, what are you doing out here?"

"Uhm… going… for a walk?"

There was an awkward pause in the conversation before the mare responded, "Wow…. You must really like long walks then."

"Yeah, I do... A-anyways, you said you need help bandaging?"

"Oh, yeah. I have some wraps in my saddlebag right over there. I would do it myself but I don't think I could get it tight enough without being a big baby about it and stopping. The pain's finally starting to dull enough that I can sit up."

"Okay, just a moment," Ruby replied in what she hoped wasn't a nervous tone. Walking around the mare Ruby moved to the saddlebag, and began rummaging through its contents with her hoof.

There was some silence before the mare suddenly gasped and said excitingly, "Oh my gosh! Are you an alicorn!? I didn't even see your horn with how dark it is!"

"Uh… yes… yes I am," Ruby nervously responded, having just found the wraps and beginning to walk over to the mare.

"That is so cool! I never thought I'd meet an alicorn," she commented happily.

"Well, I'm glad to be the first for you, I guess," Ruby said with another forced laughed. _At least everything seems to be going good so far. But it sounds like I was a real BONEHEAD to not realize alicorns may not be common,_ she thought to herself as she wore a fake grin. Breathing as shallow as she could as to not smell the blood more than she already did, she cheerfully spoke as she approached the mare, "Alright, lets wrap you up and get you on your way!"

Ruby flared her horn to life as she magically grasped the bandages and floated them around the mare's torso, unraveling them as she prepared to loop them around her chest. But as soon as she had, the mare looked up to her and became pale as a ghost, her eyes widening in terror as she let out a scream at the sight of the crimson eyes and noticeable fangs before her.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH! MONSTER!"

Ruby nearly jumped out of her skin from the mare's outburst, watching in confusion as the strange pony suddenly sprang to her hooves and began swinging at her, all while screaming at the top of her lungs, "GET AWAY! GET AWAY!"

Ruby retreated a few steps from her reach and rose a hoof up in protection, a look of fear and confusion on her face. "What's wrong with you!?"

"SHUT UP YOU MONSTER!" the pony shouted, her scared demeanor quickly becoming replaced with rage as her eyes dilated and her muscles tensed. "I'LL KILL YOU!" she screamed before lounging at Ruby.

Too taken aback by the turn of events, Ruby closed her eyes and threw up her hooves in protection as the mare swung at her with every bit of force she could muster, dealing blows that would leave slight bruises on another pony, and would soon enough leave them even on her.

But Ruby was still in shock at how the mares entire demeanor changed so drastically and sat in a half protective stance as her mind tried to work out what was happening. It even seemed that the mare was oblivious to her injuries as she continued to attack wildly.

 _What the hay is wrong with her!? I don't want to hurt her but I can't let her keep wailing on me!_

But she was unable to make a decision in time for the situation when suddenly the beating stopped the same time a small voice cried out, "LET HER GO!"

Opening her eyes, Ruby watched as the mare slid onto the ground a short distance away, a small furry figure on top of her that she assumed had been the projectile that had knocked her away.

"L-LUNAR PEARL!" Ruby cried in surprise and worry.

However, the mare in her fury was quick to react, and bashed Lunar Pearl's head on the side with a foreleg, knocking her off and onto the grass next to her. Not even giving her the chance to even register the hit, the mare rolled on top of her and pushed a hoof into her throat. Lunar Pearl's eyes went wide as she felt the suffocating force dig into her airways, causing her to immediately tear up struggle with her hooves as she desperately reached for air.

"DAMN YOU VAMPONIES TO TARTARUS!" the mare screamed as she raised her other hoof above her head.

Lunar Pearl's eyes followed as she raised a hoof, filled with fear at the sight of the snarling and wild expression the pony held on her face. The way she stared at her caused Lunar Pearl an unimaginable terror to build within her, unable to fully understand why she was staring at her with such hatred in her eyes. Lunar Pearl could only weakly grasp at the mares strong hoof, feebly trying to pull it off her with her tiny forelegs. She began choking on the tiny amount of breath she had left as the pain increased along with the pressure of the strong hoof, forcing her to remain still to watch as the mare fully raised her other foreleg above her head.

Then swung down with all her might.


	23. Chapter 23

_Today, we succeeded in our defense against the Orz Kingdom, though not without great cost. They believed we would have turned the entire village into vamponies, and so they deployed cruel countermeasures. With unicorns armed with lit arrows, they rained a firestorm onto the village, burning many of its inhabitants, as well as a few of our own._

 _I have heard ponies call us mad and cruel, but never have I done something as dreadful as killing our own. To me, that is true evil…_

 _After the conflict, we regrouped and rallied the survivors, including the villagers. I've never seen a more terrified group. They were for all intents and purposes considered dead from their own kingdom, and they cowered before us as if we were the executioners. No one would take them now, which is why I have decided to escort them into our lands, and allow them to pick the village of their choosing to live at._

 _During our return, I will do my best to explain how things work, and that they needn't fear for their lives. Only the judged criminals and the old who are willing sacrifice themselves to us are feed upon. And even then, that is only when we are not at war._

 _And we will war. Nopony should abandon their subjects on a fearful whim as their previous leaders have done._

 _I will have to speak to Night Walker when we return, and discuss plans for the Orz Kingdom…_

 _-Ruby Sparkle_

As the mare's hoof came down with force, Lunar Pearl re-actively shut her eyes, flinching the parts of her body that would still respond to her. She held them tight in the fearful anticipation of the blow, briefly wondering how it had come to this.

But when the strike did not come, and instead the pressure on her throat loosened enough for a gasp of air to reach her lungs, Lunar Pearl's snapped open. While her chest rose up and down furiously for the return of oxygen in her lungs, she watched with awe and fear at the mare above her, and her hoof inches from her face that was wrapped in a purple glow.

"Get. Off. Her," Ruby said between her gritted teeth. The mare whipped her head to Ruby with a wild scowl, her eyes wide with rage. She glared at Ruby with an expression of pure hatred. But for they were a candle's flame compared to the steady but burning fire in Ruby's eyes.

With the tilt of Ruby's head, the strange mare found her world turned sideways and meshed into a blur, quickly followed by the blinding pain of her back being slammed into a tree.

Ruby had swung the mare through the air by her hoof and straight into the tree next to her. The mare's eyes went wide with shock and pain, her mouth hung opened as if she gave off a soundless scream. But she hardly had anytime to register the fact that her back had been broken upon the tough tree, and found herself quickly pulled towards Ruby, and the sudden pain of fangs piercing her neck. Ruby had brought her straight into her grasp, and she bit down onto the mare's neck as hard as she could, crushing her windpipe in the process.

And the taste of the blood that began to ooze out from the bite was delicious beyond comparison to Ruby.

The bowl of blood she had before was an experience she thought could never be topped, but the taste of fresh blood from a warm and still living pony was far greater. Ruby's crimson eyes that burned in rage for the mare's actions glazed over as the euphoria of the taste and the soothing sensation it provided in her throat began to take her. Closing her eyes and letting out a soft moan through her closed mouth, Ruby drank heavily from her prey. The experience of warm blood soothing a fire within her throat was something that could not be described in words, and she was unable to stop herself.

The mare simply laid limp in her deadly embrace. With her back broken, and her windpipe squeezed between a death lock of teeth, she could neither move a muscle or scream in pain as the last moments of her life approached her. And it was as she was unable to breath, her body screaming in a cold like fire, and the feeling of her heart becoming irregular as the blood within her veins was forcibly drawn, did her eyes finally change from a wild rage, and into a confused and utter look of agony and terror.

The last thought that crossed her mind, was the simple word of _Why_ , and the dimmed awareness of a drop of water falling onto her face from the sky.

* * *

Ruby sat on the ground panting heavily, blood dripping down her lips and off her chin from the excess that had leaked during her drinking. Some of her facial coat had even become matted and discolored as it began to dry. But with the steady drizzle of rain that was steadily beginning to build into a downpour, the residual blood would not last long before being cleaned off. She was sitting above the limp body of the green mare that had attacked her and Lunar Pearl, staring down at her with a mixture of emotions that played around Ruby's crimson eyes.

The mare was dead, broken and drained by Ruby's ferocity, and that caused a heart wrenching feeling inside her. Yet at the same time, elation already filled her from the soothing but overwhelming taste of the mare's blood coursing through her. It was fresh and warm, sending a comforting tingle to every inch of her body. The energy it provided for Ruby almost caused her to shake her forelegs as one would do after sitting themselves in front of a fire from a cold trek, To shake off the sluggishness of the body and let in the soothing warmth that made you feel alive.

And even if she felt guilty about the mare or renewed by her blood, the sense of protection that still burned within her remained the strongest feeling as she stared down at the lifeless mare. She didn't even know her name, but resentment of what she had tried to do cause the vampony princess to narrow her eyes in a grim but determined scowl. Ruby knew it before, even telling herself mentally multiple times, that she was ready to defend and protect her ponies. To allow nothing else to further harm them or threaten their existence. And when the time for it finally came, Ruby had acted swiftly and mercilessly.

 _I don't know who you are,_ she thought as she stared that the eerily motionless eyes that were wide, the last expression of the mares face before death. _Or why you felt the need to attack us. But I was not going to let you get away with it, and nor will I allow anypony else to do the same_. Ruby closed her eyes as she took in a deep breath, pushing aside all her thoughts and emotions that had been stirred from the event for the clear and singular determined thought.

Opening her eyes she glanced at the mare one last time, muttering beneath her breath. "I'm sorry… but nopony is going to hurt the ones I care for. Even if I have to kill them."

Ruby then felt a flaring in her chest, the same one that had arisen every now and then in defiance to her thoughts or actions, and to her realization, the same one that pushed her to helping out the mare in the first place. But she shoved away as quickly as it had come, and whispered, "And I will do it gladly."

Resolved on her stance, Ruby directed her attention to the one who still needed her, glancing at Lunar Pearl some distance away. She had propped herself up onto her elbows and looked towards Ruby with large eyes, her mane becoming slowly flattened from the wetness of the rain. Ruby's expression softened somewhat as she wonder exactly what she thought of her, little doubt in her mind that she had witness everything of what she had done to the green mare.

When the she remained frozen in her behavior Ruby softly called her name. "Lunar Pearl…"

Hearing her name caused her to flinch, and air rushed past her lips as she began breathing again, not having realized she had been holding it.

"Are you okay?" Ruby asked as Lunar Pearl began to show signs of awareness again.

Lunar Pearl blinked slowly shifted her eyes from the mare to Ruby. Everything was coming back to her now. She had been attacked, Ruby had rescued her, and then Ruby killed the mare. It was as simple as that. But it all felt so surreal to her, so much that she ran it over in her mind a few times. But when the rest of her finally processed it, the tears began to trickle, and her breaths changed to tiny choked sobs.

"R-…Ruby…" Lunar Pearl cried quietly before pushing herself onto her hooves. She couldn't tell if her legs were shaky from the fight or from the overwhelming emotions inside her, but she still began to step towards her. Her legs were thankful that the trip was only a few steps before Ruby had already rushed over and scooped her up into her arms.

"Shhh… I'm here," Ruby whispered in her ear.

Lunar Pearl was dimly aware of the blood spilling onto her from Ruby's chin, streaking its way into her mane and coat from the drizzling rain. She thought it should have bothered her, she found that it did not in the was nothing at that moment that could bother her. Not how she felt bad the mare had died, how scared she had been of her, or even how horrifying Ruby had been if only even a few moments.

The only thing that did matter to her, what was the focus of her whole world, was how safe she felt in Ruby's arms.

It was the kind of safety that for the first time in her life, she unconditionally trusted and fully believed in. It wasn't the kind that her sister had always provided her, though caring she might have been. Or the kind of a barrel provided when playing hide and seek, or hiding from the guard.

Every day of her existence had been one reminder after another that they were doomed, and nopony could help them, not even from the bad ones who were supposed to protect. At time, not even her sister or a barrel could stop them.

But Ruby had protected her. Though she had killed a mare to do it, she still protected her. For once, in Lunar Pearl's life, something horrible that was going to happen to her had been stopped. It was that final reassurance that she no longer had any doubt Ruby would be able to help her and every other bat pony. She didn't know how, but she then knew Ruby was going to able to cure them, and keep them safe while doing it.

And as awful as the thought tore at her, she knew she would accept it even if meant others had to die like the mare.

* * *

Shade Flare looked down at the corpse of the green mare in silently, reflecting on the expression on her face that had frozen in the last few moments of her life. He had seen dead bat ponies, having become fatally ill. It was an inevitably passing away when nothing else could be done for them. He had even seen a foal once or twice become still when they were struck by a sudden illness that should have not happened until later in life. But seeing a pony die from another, their body broken and the drips of blood on the ground from their very life force being drained, it caused something in Shade Flare that he couldn't identify.

When the patrols found the source of commotion, saw the dead mare some feet away from Ruby and Lunar Pearl, both of them locked in an embrace. The guards had been of course, stunned at the sight, but were still quick to dispatch help to the cave. They had reported to Shade Flare right away, who encouraged the rest of the bat ponies to remain in the cave while he and the patrols handled the situation.

When Shade Flare made his way to the site, he passed Ruby and Lunar Pearl on their way back, Lunar Pearl holding tightly to her neck as Ruby carried her. Her chin was caked in blood that somehow persisted despite the rain, and her eyes were devoid of their usual glow of cheerfulness and curiosity. When he inquired to her personally as to what happened, Ruby simply told him that she and Lunar Pearl had come across a mare that had attacked them, and that Ruby had taken care of it. She informed him that she was on her way back to return Lunar Pearl to her sister and wash the blood of her face.

She then told him to take care of the mare, and left without another word. Shade Flare had watched her until she disappeared from the trail, issued the patrols back to their routes, and now found himself standing above the body of a dead green mare alone. Until a voice spoke from the shadows.

"She seemed to have handled it smoothly."

Shade Flare looked up and saw Night Walker walked calmly from the forest and stand beside him, observing the corpse in front of them. "She certainly did quite a number on her. Throwing her opponents against trees seems to be her favored tactic thus far."

"…Appears so," Shade Flare said flatly.

Night Walker's ears flicked at the tone of his voice, then turned his eyes to him.

Shade Flare immediately straightened his posture and lifted his chin more prominently. "Is there something wrong?"

Night Walker was quiet for a few moments, before casually responding, "Not at all. Just curious as to how you are handling the sight of death."

"I have seen death before."

"A pony dying from a sickness is different than one dying from a fight, even if it wasn't by your own hooves."

"I can assure you," Shade Flare said with a tighter edge on his voice. "I will do whatever is necessary to help our kind."

Night Walker regarded his stoic expression before turning his attention back down to the mare. "Don't get ahead of yourself. You have yet to see a pony's eyes become cold and lifeless, or how they turn to fear or hatred. Death is not something to be taken lightly, and it is not to be glossed over. This will be a difficult transition for you and every other bat pony. And it will not be pleasant. It isn't for anyone..."

Letting the words sink in, Shade Flare eventually asked curiously, "Even you?"

Night Walker gave a small smirk. "I wasn't always the pony you see before you now. Death is a bridge every pony must cross. And sending another on their own bridge isn't easier." Night Walker bent and grabbed the mare by the neck with his teeth, and heaved her with one go onto his back. "I'll deposit the body while you run damage control within the cave. No doubt everypony will be worried that a mare had _strayed_ into the forest."

Shade Flare nodded. "When can we expect your official return?"

"Another few days, perhaps. I've touched up the final details of the next step with our benefactor, leaving only Princess Sparkle to begin her work on restoring the vampirism on everyone else. With a full stomach, she should be ready to begin the first transformation. After each bat pony has been cured, we will leave the cave and head to the new safe locations."

"And what has been the word of her disappearance?"

"Surprisingly so far the Royal Sisters have kept it hush. I find it rather strange but they do know their citizens better than I do. I imagine they would not want such a traumatic event to spread panic across Equestria. From what I've heard, it was already chaotic enough when Nightmare Moon returned and the strange creature known as Discord appeared. But I've requested our benefactor to spread whispers amongst the court and other established positions. Without a doubt, word of her missing will trickle to every corner of Equestria and cause panic."

"Isn't that dangerous?" Shade Flare questioned in concern.

"Possibly," Night Walker said as he began to turn away. "But there are few opportunities when everything is so still and stagnant. A little excitement will no doubt bring some interesting choices of what to do, as well as keep the Royal Sisters occupied in calming their sheepish country."

Shade Flare remained silent as he watched Night Walker disappear back into the woods with the mare slumped over his back. The sight of her face looking lifelessly at him before turning behind a tree caused his him to shiver and turn away. After however, his aghast face was replaced with a scowl, and he determinedly began marching back to the cave.

 _For my sake, I hope Ruby finishes soon. I can't stand being this weak anymore…_

* * *

Night Walker whistled quietly as he made his way through the forest, reflecting on the proposals he still had to sort out back in the city and when the time would come, to begin turning each bat pony into vamponies. His chest felt as if it would almost burst at the thought of being surrounded by his capable kin once again, able to do whatever they willed across the land. And with him being the only Shepherd of Darkness walking the land, there was nothing to stop him for doing whatever he pleased.

Even the lands outside of Equestria's borders had become options for him in the vacuum of power. The idea that someday he could walk their lands as well and see what was there left him wondering all sorts of scenarios. He had no doubt he would extend his borders somewhat, but the simple joy of exploring another world was entertaining enough. Perhaps in a few hundred years, he might see it fit to have them under his domain as well. For the night was, is, and always will be, the thing that pulls everything under its shadow.

After walking for some time, he reached a portion of the forest that had a deep gulley cut through it like a wound, completely littered with flowing mud and boulders of what once was a river bed. Turning his side to the edge, he unceremoniously tilted his body and rolled his burden over.

 _"Oh little one, your time has come,_  
 _Rest easy now, your work is done._

 _Lower your head, close your eyes,_  
 _Let this melody, sooth your cries._

 _Sleep and forget, your sorrows,_  
 _Sleep and forget, your pains,_  
 _Sleep and forget, your troubles,_

 _Sleep and forget, the cruel fate of..._

 _...your death..."_

He watched as her body rolled and tumbled down the crevice, flopping about every which way that would no doubt be painful for any living pony. Her fall was short however, and she eventually came to a full stop at the base of the crevice; resting in a pool of mud from the recent shower. Her green color seemed a stark contrast from the brown around her, standing out alongside the form of what was another pony that had been residing there for some time now; resting ever since Night Walker had drank from her and had used the leftover to fill what was about a bowls worth of blood was from.

 _Feel grateful I am giving you fresh blood, Ruby. The stock supply doesn't nearly hold it's tantalizing taste, or it's seductive power._


	24. Chapter 24

_Two weeks later…_

"Are you sure you are ready?"

"Yes, I believe I can do it now."

"It really is no problem to wait a few more days to prepare yourself," Night Walker cautiously pressed while lying on the floor.

"No, I can't put it off any longer than I have already done," Ruby argued. "I have a good grasp on Soul Sight, and I feel confident that I can bend the alicorn magic to my will enough to complete the process. I can do this, Night Walker," Ruby said adamantly, further showcased by the look in her eyes.

Night Walker regarded her carefully, briefly thinking over the amount of dedication to studying she displayed over the last few days since his return. When she felt prepared enough for the task, she promptly closed her book, and marched to his alcove, and uncaring interrupted a conversation he and Shade Flare had been sharing.

"We can't put it off any longer," Ruby continued in a near lecturing like tone. "I may not know much of what is happening in the outside world, but given the circumstances of that we are being pursued, we can't remain here much longer. And that means we need to make able ponies into vamponies."

Night Walker stared long and hard at her, while she returned it unwaveringly. When it was sufficiently clear that she would not break eye contact first, he closed his eyes in defeat. "Very well, we will begin the process." But when Ruby's expression changed into a relieved one he asked, "The question is, however, who will be the first one to test?"

Before either of them could recommend a candidate, Shade Flare polity coughed.

"I will."

"Shade Flare," Night Walker spoke in surprise. "You are the second in command. We cannot risk losing you should anything go wrong. You are in charge when Ruby and myself are not present. Besides, you have already gone through the transformation more than once. I fear what might happen if any more attempts are done before we have the process perfected."

"I may have to agree with Night Walker on this one Shade Flare," Ruby added before Shade Flare could respond. "From what he has told me, you reverted back into a bat pony because of the alicorn magic embedded into each of you. Though I haven't looked into your soul, I can't imagine it's current state after having gone through it multiple times. It would be dangerous until we know more."

"I know the risks," Shade Flare responded coolly. "And I will not endanger another if I can take their place. And unlike the rest, I can tell you if somethings wrong because I _have_ been through it. You must let me do this."

"I will not risk losing you," Night Walker said more sternly.

"You don't decide my fate!" Shade Flare shouted. His outburst caused a look of surprise to both Night Walker and Ruby, as well as himself moments later at the realization of what he did. "I… I'm sorry… I just…"

Night Walker looked him up and down, his eyes a mixture of scrutiny and astonishment. "...Ruby," he eventually said..

"Yyes?"

"Please look into Shade Flare's soul, and give me your honest opinion of whether or not it would be safe enough to use him."

"Night Walker, you aren't actually considering-"

"I am."

"But shouldn't you have first-hoof knowledge of his soul already to know it won't work?"

"I'm not the one removing the alicorn magic. If you believe you can do it without risking his very being, then I should be able to help with the rest." Night Walker stood up and moved towards Shade Flare who in turn, shakily locked his knees and stood firm, an act that was easily seen through even if Night Walker could not hear his pounding heart. "Shade Flare has expressed his decision, and it is not the vampony way to stand before one who has decided their path."

"But this could kill him!"

"Which is why I am asking you to peer into his soul." Night Walker turned his head to Ruby. "A simple look won't hurt."

"No, I suppose not…"

"Thank you," Shade Flare breathed in relief.

"Rest assured, Shade Flare," Night Walker said while turning back to him, "this does not guarantee you will be picked. And if Ruby deems you are not suitable, you will stand by that decision until we can figure out how to overcome it. Do you understand?"

"I do," Shade Flare replied, throwing his chest out for added effect.

"You may proceed, Ruby."

With that, Night Walker moved away and returned to his sitting position.

Ruby glared at the both of them, before sighing in defeat. "Fine, I'll take a look. But I won't allow it if I even believe for a moment that it is far too unsafe."

"I'll take that risk," Shade Flare replied immediately.

Ruby gave him a disapproving look before shaking her head and stepping towards him. "Stand still while I inspect you please."

Shade Flare straightened his posture even more so.

Muttering under breath at the boneheadedness of males, Ruby closed her eyes, and calmed herself. Moments later, they reopened as a brilliant white light, and gazed deep into Shade Flare.

Two things were immediately clear to Ruby when she saw within him. One was the anxiety and desperation that flooded his soul that should would approve of him, and the other was how strange his soul was compared to the other bat ponies. If she had to place an analogy, it looked as if he had been torn apart and pieced back together multiple times, leaving noticeable holes where there shouldn't any. His soul looked like a tattered cloth that was holding itself together by just barely.

 _Shade Flare… what have you done to yourself?_ Ruby thought forlornly. Her eyes gazed over the parts where the alicorn magic in all of its black and green colors stuck to the most damaged areas, embedding itself into him as it slowly repaired fragments of the damaged area. _It must have ripped the vampirism right out of you… and it doesn't even know how to heal you correctly… it's just piecing together what it can._

Ruby's mouth unconsciously opened in wonder and sadness at the state of his soul, feeling awful that she had known him this entire time and had no knowledge of the state of his being. In fact, she knew very little of him. He was always stoic, quick to respond, and dedicated to whatever task she had seen him perform. But now she had the chance to see the real him, and she saw more than she thought was there.

Inside Shade Flare was a deep helplessness that permeated much of his being. It held prominent spots for many of his emotions, including one which was something akin for the desire of vengeance or retribution; which one it was, Ruby did not know, for it bordered both of them. And though she was somewhat perplexed at the flicker of hesitation of her being so close to him, it was easily buried beneath the fierce determination to be approved. His emotional stability _needed_ her to approve him, so he could become stronger.

Ruby nearly cut off the Soul Sight right there and then, feeling that the male ego knew no bounds. But remained at the promise she would give an honest opinion after exploring all of him.

Following the desire for strength, she could see his confidence was dimly lit, one of the sections that had holes within it. Having a guess, she suspected that he drew much emotional strength from being a vampony. But on closer inspection, it did not tie into nearby sections of pride, vanity, or even self preservation. Instead, it was tied to his empathy, and that section was without a doubt the most build piece of his soul.

"Shade Flare," Ruby asked aloud. "Would you really risk yourself if it means you can help everypony?"

"Without hesitation," he replied.

And Ruby found that it was true within him.

Her brows narrowed as felt her previous impressions of him fade away. _You feel so helpless that you can't help every other pony. So much that it has driven you to a pit that I can't even imagine being stuck in… You were alone for a lot of your life… But when you became a vampony, everything changed, and you felt like you could finally do something…_

Ruby had seen enough, and closed her eyes as she dismissed the ability. _You really are willing to go to any length to achieve power again, just so you can do something useful…_ Ruby opened her eyes, and looked onto Shade Flare with a sorrowful look.

Shade Flare's confidence then faltered, and he blinked nervously at what she might say to him, fearful that she wouldn't allow him to continue.

"Well?" Night Walker said after sometime. "What do you think?"

Ruby continued to stare at Shade Flare, feeling the last of her walls come down in new respect, and new empathy for him. "I… believe it can be done." Shade Flare nearly coughed in relief as he relaxed and smiled in disbelief, causing Ruby to smile herself. "And I would believe it would be wrong to deny him of something he so passionately believes in."

Shade Flare blushed at her words, and internally hoped that she had not seen his fast fading unfavorable opinion of her. Ever since the incident with the fear, she had only been aweinpsiing and strong to him. Things he would he would have again in full soon enough.

"Now that that's settled," Night Walker said as he stood up again. "Let's begin."

* * *

The three of them had gathered in a larger alcove that lay deep below the main section, the place in which they would perform the transformation and allow him to rest. Nearby were bowls of soaked cloth to ease any suffering that may come, and flasks of blood for him as well as Ruby and Night Walker for what would be a long wait.

Around them and at the base of the walls, were various bat ponies; elders as well as the top marked fighters in training, the only ones who were allowed to watch the momentous occasion given the small space. They murmured amongst themselves in excited whispers and concerned voices. It was afterall, not everyday one saw the rebirth of their race.

Shade Flare stood in the center of the room, his faint form dimly lit by the blue light of the mushrooms that were not blocked by the observing ponies. He looked onward with a set stare, ready and confident to face whatever difficulties that may arise. Beside him, was Night Walker and Ruby, both of their eyes emitting a white glow that while noticeable, did not leave a reflection on Shade Flare's body.

They were analyzing and coordinated together over Shade Flare's soul in final preparation, discussing the problem areas that would need to be watched closely as the vampirism spread. The atmosphere was that of two doctors taking last notes before the start of a complicated surgery, something that nearly every pony in the room had witnessed before at the hoof of unicorn doctors back in Dusk Town. The difference this time however, was not to remove more vampirism or to cure a disease within one of their own, but to restore them to how they once were so long ago.

"Remember, the connections between the emotion centers and subconscious mind will fluctuate during," Night Walker said to Ruby.

"I know," she replied in reassurance. "And the majority of the alicorn magic lies within the third internal orb on the right, that's what I need to focus on overcoming as it plays out."

"You got it," Night Walker said. The two of them closed their eyes, extinguishing their white glows to conserve their energy as much as possible for the inevitable constant checkups they would need to do during. Opening them again to reveal their usual crimson color, Night Walker moved in front of Shade Flare, staring hard into his amber eyes as he asked one more time, "Are you ready, Shade Flare?"

"I am," he stoically answered as usual.

"Then… let's begin," Night Walker announced loudly, catching the full attention of each attended in the room. "Ruby, if you will," he said as he stepped away.

Ruby took her place in front of him and apologetically smiled. "Sorry for the pain I am about to do."

Shade Flare took a breath and replied with a small smirk of his own. "It's alright. It's just like a needle. I'm pretty used to those."

Ruby was unaware of the ironic smile that threatened to break on Shade Flare's face in the knowledge that she was now going to turn _him_ into a vampony.

 _What goes around comes around,_ Night Walker thought amusedly.

Ruby took in a deep breath, and moved her head near his neck. Her mouth hovered inches from him, taking notice of the healed scars from previous bites. "Here I go," she whispered, and then sank her fangs deep into him, all while an eariler conversation echoed in her mind.

 _"How does one go about turning another into a vampony?" Ruby asked._

Shade Flare let out a small gasp as he flinched from the penetration of her fangs, gritting his teeth as he began to feel his heart pump in double time.

 _"First," Night Walker explained. "You must drain them as dry as possible, the neck is one of the more preferable options as the blood flows easily, the muscle does not get in the way like the thigh may, and victims cannot struggle easily. It is also a sensitive spot that normally freezes most ponies upon piercing."_

Shade Flare's eyes went wide at the sensation of his blood being pulled toward his neck, his heart becoming irregular from the forced suction. Without his control, his legs buckled beneath him and spasmed wildly; grunting all the while as he did his best to remain still as possible despite every instinct telling him to run. Ruby fell with him, never pulling away as she knelt down in a comfortable position and continued to drink from him.

 _"How much blood do I need to drink?"_

Shade Flare's vision began to darken as he tumbled fully onto the ground. But Ruby wrapped her hooves lovingly around his head, and cradled it towards her, all while stroking his mane soothingly. A ringing sensation began to fill his ears as the final beats of his heart throbbed loudly. He began to feel cold, and his head lightheaded. It was exactly as he experienced the few times Night Walker had turned him, but was slightly more comfortable he dimly realized. It was that thought that stuck with him as he prepared for the last moment of unconsciousness.

 _"Enough for them to die."_

His eyelids slowly closed, and his final breath left his body. Ruby pulled away after she was sure she could no longer feel his heart beating, eyeing him closely as she mentally prepared herself for the next step.

 _"After… after they die… then what happens?"_

Ruby raised one of her forelegs to her mouth, and quickly nipped at her wrists..

 _"Then you must have them feed on your blood."_

Cradling Shade Flare's head gently, she exposed wrist against his mouth.

 _"How do I do that when they're dead?"_

Ruby closed her eyes as she focused her concentration, feeling the sensation of her blood beginning to steadily ooze out.

 _"By using vampony magic of course. Even though you have yet to learn it, this much you should be able to do."  
_

Whispering beneath her breath, Ruby called forth the powers that flowed within her veins, and willed the blood from her wrist to make their way into Shade Flare's body. In response, her blood quickly poured out of her cut and trickled their way down his throat.

The stream blood began to fluctuated as a few spilled droplets lifted themselves upwards, defying gravity itself as they gathered together. The crowd of bat ponies exchanged quick whispers of awe as they watched the blood move as if was alive. It drifted in the air before thinning out into multiple streams, then arced through the air around Shade Flare's body, an encompassing embrace of life. Flowing about, it spun around him as it feed a steady stream down his throat, with one or two even pushing themselves into the bite marks on his neck.

The color of the red liquid moving through the air held each pony transfixed as the blue light from the mushrooms played off it surface, providing them a sight that could be called beautiful as it was strange.

 _"Once you have giving them enough blood, the rest of the process will begin. All you have to do then, is simply wait."_

The flowing blood came to an abrupt halt, the last few streams of it sinking their way into Shade Flare's body as Ruby carefully set down his head and pulled herself away from him. She panted slightly at the use of the vampony powers and amount of blood she had given him, feeling as if she would need to drink again within a week even though she had fed heavily only a few days ago. Night Walker returned back to the center of the room as he moved to her side, both of their gazes fixed hopefully on his still form.

"How did I do?" Ruby asked worriedly.

"You did fine. Superb even," Night Walker answered, eliciting a small smile from her. "Now comes the difficult part." Looking down onto Shade Flare's body, Night Walker narrowed his eyes. "Ridding the alicorn magic from him, all while seeing a smooth transformation."

Ruby's expression became serious once again as she nodded her head. "Right, let's get to it."

Both of them closed their eyes once more, and reopened them to reveal two sets of twinkling orbs. The two stood tall and commanding as they gazed downwards onto Shade Flare, seeing deep into his flickering soul as the red of vampirism slowly began to churn and spread within him.

To everypony else within the room, they would always remember the sight of that batpony lying dead at their hooves, slowly fighting death itself as new life coursed through his veins, and the two awe inspiring vamponies that towered over him; their eyes alight with a white glow that saw everything.

* * *

Night Walker and Ruby spent half the night working on Shade Flare. The tension was high in the room as each pony watched with bated breath. Ridding the alicorn magic embedded within him had been difficult, but Ruby was finally able to grasp ahold of it.

Each pony was taken aback when her eyes began to leak a purple mist, and her horn began to bubble with matching purple and emerald colors; the only pony who had not gasped at its sight was Night Walker, who instead, looked onto the familiar magic in memory of past encounters.

Ruby then directed the awful looking power into Shade Flare's body, causing his form to twitch and jolt as the alicorn magic ran through him. The power she wielded felt powerful yet strange, a combination of might and disastrous temptation. She could feel the strain it took on herself, almost seeing the energy bounce back and forth inside her in resonance until it took on a twisted form of raw energy. But even with the difficulty wielding it took, she was in the end able to succeed in removing the alicorn magic within Shade Flare, disrupting its flow and sending the remnants of the spells energy into oblivion.

Afterwards, it was smooth sailing for the rest of the process with Night Walker stepping in to oversee the majority of the changes. When it was clear that it would run without any foreseeable complications, the two of them ceased their work and retired for the rest of the night, sitting next to Shade Flare's body should anything arise. Most of the bat ponies took their leave after the exciting parts were done with, content they had seen enough and stated they looked forward to seeing Shade Flare awakening as a full-fledged vampony.

While the few remaining observers sat in idle conversation, Ruby and Night Walker spent the time discussing the finer details of how vampirism affected the soul, or any other questions related to modifying it that Ruby had. She was learning quickly that the possibilities one could do with a soul was practically endless, a near infinite possible combinations or changes one could do to each part of it, bringing about new changes and behaviors. And though while she felt some concern on tampering with such a delicate thing, her inquisitive side could not hold back the opportunity to draw a wealth of information from the well-practiced vampony lord.

The night dragged on in similar fashion, the two of them staying diligently near Shade Flare's side with Night Walker only leaving for a few moments to fetch a flask of blood he held within his strange storage ability for them to refresh on since Ruby had already drank all of the original flaks they had set aside. Being reminded that he possessed such a trait, Ruby almost delved into a full discussion on vampony magic again on how he was able to do it, before a sudden yawn caught her by surprise. It was a little past sunrise now, and the nights work had left her tired. But it was as they were beginning to discuss on going to bed and who they would ask to watch over Shade Flare that his body began to stir.

"He's waking up!" Ruby exclaimed, all feelings of tiredness vanishing quickly as their patient groaned in grogginess.

Shade Flare's eyes were scrunched shut as he awoke, raising himself onto his knees as he turned his head side to side to shake off the strange tiredness.

"Shade Flare, how do you feel?" Night Walker asked eagerly, unable to hold himself back from the anticipated moment.

They and the remaining bat ponies held their breaths as Shade Flare slowly blinked open his eyes, and revealed a crimson orb.

"Success!" Ruby nearly shouted, feeling overjoyed along with relief that everything seem to have gone according to plan.

"Take your time, ease yourself," Night Walker cautioned in concern, his eyes darting between Shade Flare's two red eyes in relief as well.

Shade Flare blinked a few more times as he slowly pieced what was happening him together, shaking his head on more time in attempt to throw off the grogginess. Smacking his mouth at how oddly dry it was, he eventually spoke, "Did… did everything happen alright?"

"Yes, it appears so," Night Walker replied.

The observers on the edges of the room drew closer to admire the new vampony, keeping a respectful distance for him to breathe while quietly congratulating him and expressing their joy that he was alright. Shade Flare managed a smile towards them, nodding his head and replying his thanks.

"So," Night Walker said above the rest of them. "How does it feel?" His raised eyebrows along with a smirk, unable to hold back his mood.

Shade Flare opened his mouth to reply with a grin, but held short as it fell away and his brows furrowed. Tilting his head down, his eyes shifted about as he focused inwardly. Night Walker's expectant smile slowly turned upside down.

Suddenly Shade Flare stood onto his hooves, wobbling slightly from the lack of balance.

"Careful," Ruby said, raising her hoof up reactively should he fall. But Shade Flare ignored her warning as his eyes still turned about, the expression on his face becoming grim and confused. He opened his mouth to speak something, but paused again as if he wasn't sure what to say. Taking a few breaths as each pony cautiously looked to him, he finally lifted his head and looked to the two of them.

"It… feels different…"

Night Walker and Ruby remained silent for a moment before the blinked their eyes and brought back their white glow, moving close to Shade Flare as they circled around him and looked at his soul from different angles.

"Night Walker… he's like…" Ruby said in awe.

"Yes… like _you_ … but not at the same time…" he finished with a stern voice. Indeed, Shade Flare's soul held many similarities that Ruby's had, an evenly laced red color on the various parts of his aspects. But the more noticeable difference was that the vampirism was spread about him in a completely different manner than he had ever seen.

In fact, it was like seeing an entirely new soul altogether.

Many traits that he held before from being a batpony were now solidified and stable, while others had changed so drastically that there were unfamiliar, but appeared strong and thriving. The new editions were complicated and intricately layered with vampirism, yet not at the same time. It was as if it was stuck in between a state of being a vampony and a batpony, somehow achieving a balance that defied reason.

"Night Walker, what is that?" Ruby asked when she too saw the unique structure. "What could have caused this?"

"I don't know," he answered with gritted teeth. But in truth, he had a very good idea. _The Elements of Harmony…_ he thought darkly. _Just what did those infernal contraptions do this time? And how!?_ He closed his mouth to prevent himself flashing his fangs in anger, putting his mind into overdrive to figure out how they had reached Shade Flare. He had never been exposed to them, let alone be remotely near them. The only possible connection that could exist was…

 _Twilight's blood…_ he realized in shock.

Blinking out his soul sight, he looked towards Ruby who was still thoroughly inspecting Shade Flare, trying very hard to suppress a snarl that threatened to silence the entire room with his building rage. _Her blood has been affected by the Elements!_

He did not know how such a thing happened, or exactly what they had done to Shade Flare, but the idea that something so potent had wiggled its influence into his plans and could possibly jeopardized everything he had been working towards stoked a fire of bubbling anger within him.

"Prince Night Walker! Princess Ruby!"

Night Walker swung his head to the entrance of the room in time to see a bat pony running into the room and skidding to a halt before the gathered group, catching Ruby's attention as well as she blinked out her soul sight to see the commotion.

"What is it!?" Night Walker growled louder than he intended.

"S-Sir!" the batpony said followed by an audible gulp, his eye's wide with fear. "Royal Guards have been spotted entering the forest just as dawn came. They are sweeping through the woods in a wide spread. It's only a matter of time before they find the cave!"


	25. Chapter 25

Everypony within the room felt their hearts stop, staring fearfully at the panicked sentry working to regain his breath. Though the wished it in an afterthought, the warning was no joke, and it only took moments for them to begin to panic themselves.

However, their duress was short lived as Night Walker tore past the sentry and up the corridor.

"Ruby! Shade Flare!" he called without looking back. The two of them were startled from still processing the danger, then exchanged brief glances to each other, and followed behind him as fast as they could; with only Ruby sparing a moment to look at the rest of them.

"Let's go! Now!"

The bat ponies watched as she darted up the passageway after Night Walker and Shade Flare, then they too followed; first in slow unsteady steps, then in quick gallops, and finally rushing as fast as their hooves could carry them.

Ruby however, did not wait to see them chase after them, for her mind was wrought with worry, and too focused on Shade Flare's trailing mane, and the twisting turns of the passageway upwards to the main cavern.

 _How could they have found us? Is it a randomized search pattern? Or did we give something away?_ She bit lips as she searched for a reason, but changed her mind when her frantic galloping threatened to bite herself. _What do we do? How do we get everypony to safety? And with the sun already up?_

She ran over a dozen possibilities for evacuations in her head during the short trip up to the cavern. She knew fighting was no option, and they couldn't hold their ground within the cave. Even if they could fortify it, it wouldn't be long before reinforcements were called in to help flush them out. There was only one passageway in and out, and she did not know how far the guards were. _Which means, we need to leave now while we still have the chance. Everypony needs to gather only the essentials, and make for the exit immediately._

But as she neared the end of the passageway, and nearly leapt into the cavern, she knew instantly that her plan was not going to work.

The cavern was in a state of flurry and chaos.

Every way she looked ponies were scrambling about calling about their loved ones names, tying together what supplies they could, or simply huddling in the middle of the floor in hopelessness. The children avoided the hoofsteps of the adults, all while calling for their parents to find them, and the seniors barked useless orders to get them to calm down. But no pony was having it. They were too terrified and too frantic to listen to reason.

Ruby watched with horror as the strong faces she has seen etched onto the ponies she had grown to love fall apart in broken pieces.

 _Why now? Why couldn't we have had just a little more time?_ Ruby reached her hoof out towards them, and tried to call out to them, to tell them it will be alright. But she could not find her voice to issue a command, or a soothing lie. _We've all been training so hard… We were almost there. We had just figured out how to turn them all back!_

Ruby reasoned in the back of her mind that if they had had just even a week longer, then maybe they could have had a few vamponies to help the defend. Maybe then they would have stood a better chance.

But they had been found, and they were not ready.

"SILENCE!"

His voice ran out, only to be amplified by the cave and echoing it against it's walls to near deafening volume. His shout had cut through the garbled commotion like a sword through cloth, and it held everyone's attention as they froze where they stood.

Looking upwards with fearful eyes, they spotted Night Walker standing tall on the ledge above them, and he looking sternly down to them. The sudden drop of noise was unsettling, and Ruby's ears pounded as her heartbeat was finally able to be heard. Nopony even turned their head when the rest of the bat ponies from below galloped into the cavern, and skidded to a halt at the quiet scene before them.

"The Crown's dogs approach," he said in a much calmer voice, yet still loud enough to be heard clearly by everypony. "The sentries spotted them entering the borders of the forest. Unicorns and Earth ponies are sweeping the ground, while the Pegasi follow from above. And they have been reported to be numbering to be well over a hundred!"

Nearly every bat ponies face whitened at the news.

"However, I don't believe they know we are here, as they would have brought more forces if they did." Though their faces eased somewhat, and even began to take on hopeful expression, Night Walker cut them short. "But they will find us, and it will be soon."

Before they could be dismayed further however, Night Walker turned a steely gaze to Ruby and Shade Flare, and motioned for the both of them to join him. With only a moments hesitation, they took wing and flew up to the ledge, landing on each of his side respectively, and stood only a few hoofsteps behind him.

"They expect to find and capture us," Night Walker continued. "They think that you are still the submissive ponies that escaped Dusk Town only some weeks ago. They think that you are the same, and will submit to their spears and harsh decrees issued by the Princesses themselves." He let his eyes pass over their faces, looking into the eyes as many as he could. "But they forget… that we… are vamponies."

With a burst of speed, Night Walker raised his hoof and flashed it downward, cracking the stone surface below him and causing shards of the ledge to break off nearby.

" _You_ are vamponies! And you are of _our_ blood!" He sweeped his hoof to gesture to himself and Ruby, then towards Shade Flare. "And as of this morning, your brother Shade Flare has joined us!"

Hushed voices speaking fervently filled the cavern, and the surprise and excitement could almost be felt as they all looked onto Shade Flare in awe. But Night Walker was not nearly done, and still held their attention prominently.

"You were not born to be bound beneath those who deem your existence as a curse! You were not meant to change who you are because a sun and moon goddess said that your very lives are unnatural! You were not meant to deny who you are!"

"You have suffered a _thousand years_ of false promises! Told that you were a plague, that you were sick, and that it was wrong to have been born as you are! And now the very ponies that supported such lies are now at our doorstep!"

Night Walker thrusted a hoof into a random point in the ceiling. But there eyes were quickly drawn back at the swirling shadows that started to envelope Night Walker's waist, and revealing leathery wings that flared out.

"But _they_ forget that battle is in your blood! The hunt is in your blood! You were born to fight! To be your own masters! Each of you a force of reckoning that causes fear into those around as you prowl about the night!"

"We will not be prey to such dogs! We will not surrender today, or any other day! We will fight, and we will survive!"

Slowly they lifted their chins, hardened their eyes, and breathed more deeply. Their fears had not vanished, but it was making way for other feelings, feelings stirred by Night Walker's passionate voice that spoke firmly.

"We are vamponies!" he shouted again. "And no one will deny us our existence!"

Teeth began to show behind lips, and hooves started to stamp onto the floor. As if a spell had been casted, they became more acute of their blood within their veins, moving as if it was being edged on by some unseen fire. It was a sensation that they knew, and found come easy to them. It was the very thing that bordered their senses the moment before a pounce, or would build from the glares of contempt from the guards. And it began to flow through them as if floodgates had been released, living in exhilaration in the moment of not holding back.

Ruby could feel the dense atmosphere within the cavern, causing her own blood to heat at the thought of fighting the ponies that steadily advanced unknowingly towards them. She could feel her lips beginning to curl as she looked into the deadset eyes below, eyes that almost shined by themselves as the cavern became darker and the shadows within crevices stretched outwards from their depths. But they were unwavering, and they bore a look of vengeance that mirrored the wrathful look Night Walker had himself, and it only grew more terrifying and horrible with each forced breath. They were all becoming blind to the blood haze that was washing over them with accompanying shadows.

And it nearly overtook Ruby, until a sudden shimmer within her broke the spells hold over her.

Gasping in surprise, she looked with sudden clarity at the ponies below, and caught her breath at their strange and cold eyes. They didn't even look like the ponies she had come to known as darkness shifted about their hooves, slowly wrapping their forms as the atmosphere became thicker and thicker. It had become so much that Ruby had difficulty breathing, and felt that she could be dragged back into it at any moment.

But worse than the alien looks of her ponies below, or the dark feelings within her that reached out to match them, was the sense of dread that emanated from Night Walker beside her. So great was its presence that Ruby was only now becoming aware of how tense her muscles had become; they nearly screamed from the strain she had put onto them.

Despite her curiosity to simply turn her head and look at Night Walker, a deep and unreasonable fear prevented her from doing so. Her body would not respond to her commands, and for a moment, she thought that was a very wise idea. The only thing she could do was barely glance at him from the corner of her eyes, and hear his harsh breathing that increased in intensity.

For one single moment, she felt nothing but hunger and death from the vampony lord, so much that it seemed nothing else existed in the world.

Until, something within her shimmered again.

Finding herself able to move her eyes, she looked back out into the crowd of ponies, and to her surprise, saw that not all of them had fallen under the effects. Below her and scattered about the crowd, were ponies whose eyes did not hold the dark mood that had so tightly gripped the others, but were stuck in motionless fear just as Ruby had been.

Ruby flitted her eyes over them, until she rested her gaze onto Lily Wing, and the huddling form of Lunar Pearl that she stood protectively over. Her hooves were wrapped about her big sister's legs tightly, so much that Ruby absently wondered if Lily Wing had any circulation in the leg.

And it was the sight of them that Ruby shimmered inside once again.

"Night Walker…"

Ruby had breathed the words, barely reaching above a faint whisper, and despite every urge within her to not speak, she uttered his name with every ounce of fear and courage within her.

The atmosphere, the shadows, Night Walker's harsh breathing, and Ruby's heart all stopped… and then, slowly receded. Like a held breath, the tension in the cave gave away, and Ruby felt the monster beside her become sucked back into the shadows deep within Night Walker once more. Only when it had completely gone could Ruby move again, and she felt as if collapsing onto the floor on the spot.

The ponies below shook their heads as their senses came back to them, and looked about in confusion, whispering to each other as to what had happened and how much they had remembered.

A great sense of relief filled Ruby, and her heart came fluttering back as it founds its strength to beat again.

"Ruby…"

Finally, she turned her head to Night Walker, and saw a very tired and very calm pony. His eyes were worn, and were creased tightly in a sorrowful way.

"...Thank you."

She blinked in surprise at his apology, and only numbly nodded her head in response. Night Walker turned away to let out a long breath. Ruby looked over to Shade Flare, and saw that he had the same confused face as her that was etched with worry, making her wonder if he had been free of the effects like she had been. But she could not contemplate long as the murmurs of the ponies below steadily rose, and she knew there was still more to be done.

 _Whatever that was, it wasn't entirely wrong,_ she realized as her senses returned to her. _We still need to look at this as it really is; a decision of us or them. Kill or be killed._ Though she still didn't understand what had happened, or agreed that that kind of blood haze was needed, she knew it had only spurred what already lied within each of them; coaxing out their feelings into something that was nearly tangible. But it had not been wrong, and still held the answer they sought. Even though she felt another shimmer within her, she tossed it aside quickly, and buried it deep within her.

Casting her gaze downwards, she looked over the group of bat ponies. _It's kill or be killed at this point. And we have a hundred reasons to do it._

Without letting her clarity or determination a moment to fade, Ruby stepped pass Night Walker, and stood forward onto the ledge. Each pony eyes were immediately drawn to her, and looked up in wonderment and hesitation at what overcome them next. Night Walker's head was lifted again, and without drawing attention, slinked backwards out of sight.

Ruby coughed to clear her throat, and to find her voice, then spoke, "All of you… are truly wonderful ponies." Her words rang clear throughout the cavern, captivating the ponies as they twitched their tuft ears at the sound of her pleasant but regal voice.

"I've come to know each of you personally during our time here. And while I have yet to remember my past and the ponies I knew then…"

Her voice nearly cracked as she said the words, but continued with a strength that matched Night Walker's, but with a much different kind of strength.

"I will never forget all of you who stand with us here tonight! I feel honored and proud to know each and every one of you!" Ruby stared long and hard into as many eyes as she could, willing with all her might for them to see how she felt with her eyes, and that she spoke the truth.

"Night Walker is right, we are vamponies! And though our strength is greater than that of a normal pony, guard included, and our fierceness unmatched in opposition, it is with our _combined_ strength that makes us stronger than any force that presents itself to us!"

While Night Walker's words stirred ire and bloodlust, Ruby's moved their spirits and resolve, binding them together in hopes that whatever will happen by days end, they will see the night together once more. Lifting her head, Ruby shouted at the top of her lungs in a passionate scream. "We are vamponies! But we are more than that! We… are family! And we will not let anyone take that away from us!"

Resounding cheers and stamping of hooves erupted in the cavern. Each bat ponies wings were flared as they cheered and gave hopeful looks to her above them, their spirits renewed and unwavering unlike before when the news first struck them, but clear and even more driven than the blood lust only moments before. The atmosphere had changed greatly from both Night Walker's and Ruby's words, and had formed together into something that was unbreakable.

As Ruby nervously laughed at the cheering, and smiled as brightly as she could at them, Night Walker watched from behind, eyeing her intently.

 _Ruby… you really hold their hearts don't you? And you were even strong enough to cut through the miasma I had so foolishly let out… It has been sometime since I have lead the call for battle. It was like looking onto those who had stood by me so long ago._ Night Walker let his eyes shift out of focus over the crowd, blurring features that might have seen familiar in some way.

 _They aren't vamponies who can withstand hoof and spear. They are still frail and perishable. If they had charged out with the aura I had so carelessly fueled them with..._

It was a thought he found he could not finish, and instead, simply stared at her in silent contemplation.

 _But…_

Refocusing his eyes, he forced himself to look at their faces again, intent on absorbing every detail about them.

 _Even if your children do not your physical strengths, my old friends, I suspect you would still look onto them with pride. They still have your fire, though dwindled it may be. I can only imagine how far they will be able to go in this world._

With that thought, Night Walker looked towards Ruby, and the building fire in her eyes.

 _And just how far will you go?_

* * *

Afterwards, they had ordered preparations for evacuation, and gathered the senior and notable bat ponies into Night Walker's alcove where they stand in a circle, discussing the details of their plan of action.

"After we finish the first group that enters the cave," Shade Flare said, "we will rush the perimeter line and begin the distraction. The Pegasi are our number one priorities, followed by the unicorns. We must ensure that the path is clear for the fleeing groups"

"I don't like it," said a older batpony with silver ears and a built jaw.

"You have a better plan of attack?" Shade Flare asked skeptically, his new crimson eyes catching the focus of each pony; a transition they were still coming to terms with.

"No no, the attack is fine," he replied while idly waving a hoof. "Our options are limited and that seems to be the only choice here. My problem is that we're splitting into groups afterwards."

"We cannot remain concealed as easily if we remain as we do," Night Walker said.

The batpony coughed politely. "Excuse me, my lord…"

"If you must give me a title, sir will do just as well," Night Walker replied, eliciting a small fluster from the batpony.

"Excuse me, sir… but what about everything Princess Ruby had just said." Giving Ruby a small glance before turning to everypony else in the circle he continued, "She's right in the fact that we need each other to get through this. Every other rebellion against the princesses failed because they were too low in numbers. I don't like the fact that were separating ourselves and making us weaker targets."

"I understand your concern, so let me explain my reasoning for this." Each pony, including Ruby, leaned forward in curiosity. "This… is war. And ponies will die," he said flatly.

The ears of the senior lowered back as he leaned away from him, along with every other pony. When nopony else spoke up, Night Walker continued. "We must ensure that we survive and to do that, we can't put all our eggs in a single basket as we've done now. I thought that we had more time to this cave to undergo most if not all of our transformations. But fortune is not in our favor, and we must proceed ahead of schedule."

"You've planned for us to split up?" Ruby asked.

"Yes."

Furrowing her brows, she asked with an edge to her voice, "Why wasn't I aware of this?"

"I was going to inform you in due time. I merely wished for all of your focus to be on the spell for the transformation."

Ruby returned his simple stare and explanation for a few moments before lowering her gaze in acceptance. It made sense that he wouldn't want to worry her with other more important happenings at the time. But she wasn't the simple and clueless pony she had awoken with amnesia from before either. She was beginning to tire at being clued in to things at the last possible moment, and with her clan of bat ponies now facing mortal danger, she was set to be involved in every little detail concerning them.

"By separating into three groups," Night Walker continued, "we can conceal ourselves in much more manageable locations. Though I don't know why it happened so quickly, this cave would have been discovered eventually, and there are only a few other locations that can hold this number of ponies somewhat comfortably. In a worst case scenario, if a group is managed to be taken, the others will still have a chance at survival."

"How will we communicate once were split?" asked another pony within the group. "From where you've told us we're going, I'm having a hard time understanding how we will coordinate."

"Unfortunately, that is another snag in this untimely happenstance," Night Walker replied. "Even if not everypony had been turned, I had wished to have at least a few trained enough in vampony magic to enable speedy communication. While it may not be faster than a flying pony, it is quick enough in its own right and far more discreet."

"But we will manage," Night Walker said in a surprisingly cheerful tone. "I will see to it personally the communication of each group and ensure all goes well."

"How will we pick where each pony goes?" another asked.

"That is up to the group leaders I choose ahead of time," Night Walker replied. Pointing a hoof at the elder, he began to delegate the positions. "You, Mist Hoof, will take a group to Fillydelphia. I had a route for you to follow that will bring you to a certain train station. There you will meet the staff of our benefactor and be discreetly taken to a location within the city."

"Hmpf," Mist Hoof grumbled before folding his arms. He did not seem keen on the location, but did not offer any arguments against it.

"I will take a group to Hayseed Swamps," Night Walker continued. "The amount of terrain there should provide plenty of concealment for us, as well as plenty of natural growing fruit to sustain the bat ponies with me."

"Ruby and Shade Flare, you two will also be rendezvousing with our benefactors staff to deliver you to Vanhoover. Unfortunately, we were not able to secure a location within the city itself yet, so please stick to the outskirts within the wilds. There's plenty of open terrain there for concealment and escape. If you meet any opposition, it should be simple to head in any direction as you see fit to secure your groups safety."

Shade Flare nodded his head in affirmation, while Ruby's eyes narrowed. She gave Night Walker a questioning look before answering, "No."

Her answer caused everypony within the small group to become very still.

"I will lead the Fillydelphia group," she simply stated, looking Night Walker directly dead in the eye.

"Ruby…" he said in a low tone. "I must _insist_ you accompany Shade Flare with the Vanhoover group."

"I'm going with the Fillydelphia group," she repeated again, her tone and eyes unwavering.

Night Walker closed his eyes momentarily to compose himself before speaking in a more gentle voice. "Ruby, you are very important and the focal point for our long term success. If we are to have a chance at restoring vampirism in each batpony, you need to be protected at all costs. Having Shade Flare by your side will ensure your safe keeping so you may continue your work."

"I can protect myself, or have you forgotten already?" Ruby quipped. The mood of the room became much more tense. Though it paled in comparison to the one in the main cavern, none of the bat ponies dared to draw any attention to themselves. With only brief glances to each other, they wordlessly and unanimously decided it would be best not to take sides in the argument, least they incur the wrath of either vampony.

"Do not speak so towards me," Night Walker said darkly.

Ruby had never heard him speak like that, let alone to her. But she did not care in the slightest. "I thought it was our way for the one who bests another to be able to speak their mind?"

Night Walker's attitude only became more grim as he stared harshly at Ruby, his lips quivering slightly at the urge to bare his fangs towards her.

"This is to protect our ponies correct?" Ruby asked.

"… Yes," he slowly responded.

"Then it only makes sense to have the strongest guiding each group respectively. I will not stand by and risk a single pony if I am able to help it should something go awry. A vampony _needs_ to accompany each group so that they will have the highest chance of survival in case something does happen. Thus, Shade Flare will still be in charge for the Vanhoover, while I commandeer the Fillydelphia. No offense, Mist Hoof."

"None taken, Princess," Mist Hoof replied, receiving a quick flash of Night Walker's eyes that ensured that was all he would say.

"In addition," Ruby continued, "it only makes sense that I go to the city."

"And why is that?" Night Walker managed to say without clenching his jaw.

"I'm the only one who can blend in," she replied with a sly smile. "All I need to do is hide my horn or my wings. I know I suffered a bit of amnesia, but I vaguely recall that alicorns are something of a rare sight, and I have a feeling that fact hasn't changed in this age either. However, a unicorn in a dress, or a pegasus with a hat should be a very common sight."

"Ruby, I still don't think-"

"In addition," she said over him. "It's about time I begun to learn how this new world worked as well. Being in the city will suit perfectly in that." Ruby raised an eyebrow to Night Walker as if she dared him to refute any of her points. "If we are ever to be successful, we can't keep ourselves in the dark while letting one be our eyes and ears. Even _if_ that pony is a vampony lord."

"Ruby-"

"I'm going, Night Walker," Ruby said suddenly in a voice that could have been mistaken as a growl.

The bat ponies beside her leaned away slightly upon hearing her how deadest she was on the matter as she and Night Walker remained in eye lock, both staring deeply into the other in attempts to back them down. However, Ruby was proving to be unyielding even in the slightest, and that fact only caused Night Walker to deepen the scowl that had become very visible.

 _This mare…_

After a few heated moments of staring, Night Walker flared his nostrils, and lowered his gaze in defeat. "Very well," he agreed reluctantly in a unsatisfied voice. It was clear he was not going to convince her otherwise of her decision, and he was not about to risk a fight with her with Royal Guards approaching, or with the bat ponies in the alcove.

"Thank you," Ruby said in a more gentle tone, putting the argument behind her more easily as her frustration evaporated on the spot. _I'm so glad vamponies handle matters like these. I can't imagine worrying about something and having to be polite about it_ , she thought happily to herself.

Each pony within the room gave out a small breath of relief as the tension in the air cleared, happy the two of them had reached a compromise.

Coughing loudly, Shade Flare drew the attention of the group. "If you don't mind," he asked tentatively, waiting for the simple nod of Night Walker before continuing. "Let us continue with the rest of the preparations. We will evacuate them in a single file, with certain numbers calling off indicating how many are left as suggested by Ruby. I will be the last pony to ensure each one made out of the cave. During this the rest will-"

* * *

"Commander Wintermane! One of the pegasi has reported in what looks to be the mouth of a cave southwest of our current position," a guard relayed with a snapping salute to the unicorn in front of him.

The older pony thoughtfully watched beneath his helm as the pegasus above dashed over the trees, on his way to spread the rest of the new. He ignored the still saluting earth pony guard for some moments as he thought it over. But thankfully for the guard's arm, he answered sooner than later.

"Send pegasi to have the rest of the force converge. We are to make steady advancement to this cave. Nopony enters its depths until I have arrived on scene."

"Sir," the pony acknowledge before trotting over to the nearest group pegasi.

Wintermane watched as each one took to the air in their respective directions, all of them armored in a similar fashion as he was, such was the standard of equipment of the Royal Guard. However, his mind was not on the disappearing forms of the pegasi, but rather on this recent expedition that he was leading his stallions on.

 _A cave deep within the forest? How dangerously convenient that is._

He mulled over the situation as another member of their squad began to issue orders for the direction change, keeping to himself as they trekked through the forest. Even when they ran into another squad of guard, he only mentioned a few words of acknowledgment to that squad's leader upon greeting. As the leader of the entire platoon currently searching the woods, he had little reason to speak more than he felt needed.

But it was a well-known fact that he was never much of a talker to begin with. Indeed his exterior expression left much to imagination on his internal workings, and if anypony had been suspecting that he was currently performing a mental retrospection of all that had happened the last few weeks weighed heavily on his mind, they would have been right.

The last few years of his career had been filled with more excitement than what had been normal throughout his earlier years. Perhaps even more than any guard had seen in a very long time. Normally the soldiers of Equestria had little to do that involved their training and combat expertise. Often performing recovery, rescue, and restoration operations from natural disasters or missing ponies.

But with the return of Nightmare Moon, Discord's first release, a changeling attack that made them all feel like freshly shaved foals, and the return of the Crystal Kingdom, Equestria suddenly seemed a much more dangerous place. Even though he nor any other troops saved Shining Armor were present for the Crystal Empire, the idea of an age old unicorn with dark intent appearing from the pages of history made him feel uneasy for the safety of his homeland.

And now it appears another evil from a long forgotten time had decided to enter Equestria, and if that wasn't the worst of it, the recent kidnapping of the freshly crowned Princess Twilight send a shiver down his spine. No matter how he looked at it, everything was becoming less sure and stable in the world.

When Princess Celestia and Luna had summoned him to their chambers to inform him of her disappearance, they issued him command of a large search and rescue mission that intended to check every inch of Equestria. And while he agreed with their reasons to keep the operation dark in its exact purpose, he still wished he had more ponies to assist him on such a large endeavor.

The Princesses explained they could simply not risk another nationwide panic. Each force that had assaulted Equestria recently had left deep impacts on the daily lives of Ponies from coast to coast. They, like him, were starting to become less sure of the world and how safe it really was. Cross town businesses halted shipments whenever a new threat had arrived, travelling was suspended, and the economy faltered significantly to the point it even affect the few trades that existed with the other races of the world.

To his thankfulness, he, and many other members of the guard, had responded well during each situation and in the aftermath. Their training had been tested, displacing some notions of an inactive military. Though Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends had been at the forefront for each situation, the guard had still done their part where the Elements of Harmony could not be. And if their capability was not enough for his satisfaction, the large influx of new recruitments made his heart swell with pride. Equestria would soon have many more capable bodies during the unfortunate times that were on the rise.

But that did not mean that the rest of the population would learn handle these troubling events nearly as well.

How Equestria's citizens would react to a Princess missing, he could only fathom at the chaos it would cause. _Such news would probably make even Discord himself proud at its results,_ he thought half amusedly. _Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on the day, the unnatural thing is nowhere to be found to aid in the search for Princess Twilight. Sometimes I wonder why the Princess's even considered releasing him if he can't even assist in something as urgent as this._

"Cave sighted," the front line pony of his squad announced ahead.

Wintermane narrowed his eyes and refocused his attention at the task at hoof. Now was not the time to reminisce on how things unfolded to where they were now. The only thing that mattered was the recovery of Princess Twilight, and if possible, avoiding at all costs the monster that had kidnapped her.

He was still skeptical at the danger such a creature potentially presented, but the Princesses would not have warned him so if it were not true. From their descriptions of the damage he could cause, he had sounded like a bloodthirsty demon that escaped Tartarus itself.

He would of course see to the first priority of their mission, but that did not mean he would go out of his way to avoid a fight with the damned thing.

Turning his head about, he scanned over the remaining squads that were approaching the small clearing before the cave entrance, taking note of their positions around and even behind it at its sides. He directed his vision upwards to the elements of pegasi in the air, spread about in an organized fashion should any pony try to escape. Each of the supposed bat ponies he had only recently learned about were capable of flight, and aerial control would be key if they were to succeed in capturing them should the opportunity present itself.

In truth, he was had been slightly hurt when he had been informed that even he had been kept in the dark of the supposed town the Princesses had kept hidden away. His new knowledge of it certainly explained why so many of his old friends had been tasked on a new mission that they would always remain exclusive about.

 _Boring outpost out in the middle of nowhere my flank,_ he had thought when thinking over his past discussion with them when they would describe some details of their new job.

"Platoon, standby in ready," Wintermane spoke to his nearby officers. "Inform the pegasi to detain all escapees if possible should they appear, but to focus their efforts on the main goal." He always kept a few pegasi nearby to spread word to the rest of the platoon should he issue any orders, ensuring a speedy delivery of his command. "Alright boys, let's see if we got another dud today. Scouting group, advance forward."

He and everypony else watched intently as four unicorns left the forward positions, and began to make their way into the cave. _If this is another false confirmation, I'm going to be yanking trees left and right._

Wintermane did not like delays in his operations, and so far they had uncovered nothing throughout the parts of Equestria they had searched thus far; which still left plenty of places to look. He could only hope that the local tip he received from a senior pony would prove correct, and today they would finally find something conclusive. Him, and his two hundred some stallions under his command were itching to finally meet their opposition.

He remained calm and collective as he watched the scouting group alight their horns, and begin their descent into the cave.

 _Come on you damned monsters, prove my theory that you're nothing more than a bunch of selfish vampire bats and come out of that cave._

In all honesty, he was not sure if he would sigh or laugh if they had ironically took shelter in the cave, a trait that would seem almost entirely too predictable considering many species of bats did the same save for some of the larger fruit eaters.

Minutes passed slowly as the waited the return of the unicorns, trying to keep their attention sharp should they find their targets for the first time. Wintermane glanced upwards now and then as they held positions within the trees, figuring that it was a little past noon. Exploring only during the day was also another warning the Princesses had given him, claiming that he would prove too risky to continue under the cover of darkness. Though it would have helped to keep their activities more concealed from the public, the aid it would give the bat ponies was too great to allow.

Then, a sudden flash of blue light was seen, snapping each pony to alert as one of the unicorn's suddenly teleported into the clearing, his bloody and battered form showcased for all to see.

They looked on in shock as him somehow being able to have casted the spell despite the damage that was prevalent about his body, such as large bruises, and slash marks caused his white fur to adopt hints of pink from his oozing blood. He opened his mouth in what looked to be an attempt to shout something, but he nopony could hear his voice as a much deeper color of red color began to spread across his neck. The stallion reached a hoof to grasp at the appearing wound, staring at his bloodied hoof in disbelief, then collapsed forward into the ground, and became very still.

A cold wind blew across the clearing, and sent a shiver down the one-hundred and ninety-six ponies who stood mouths hanging at the unicorn.

Wintermane's grey coat almost paled to his mane's color namesake at the sight of the stallion's demise, wondering what had befallen to the other three who had yet to appear. Their absences could only be viewed as a similar if not more gruesome fate.

The sound of a pony stepping on a branch snapped Wintermane from his shock, and he looked down to a nearby new recruit who was in the middle of taken a step backwards. The recruits hanging mouth quivered slightly as his eyes remain locked on the fallen body of the unicorn, his eyes wide with confusion and terror.

Wintermane was about to call out to him to pull him out of his panicked state, but his eyes caught even some of his more seasoned guards —some who had even been present during the changeling attack— share similar expressions of fear. Everypony was having difficulty processing what they had just seen, and despite their training, all of them were too caught up to react differently. The number of ones who seemed coherent though their faces were grim, were far fewer than the ones who weren't.

"STEADY YOURSELVES!" Wintermane shouted for all of them to hear, bringing back to the dire situation that had gruesomely made itself known. They blinked themselves back to focused and shifted about as they nervously prepared themselves. Many of them still held horrified looks upon their faces, but their tense muscles showed they were at least ready for whatever came next.

It felt like minutes past as they waited apprehensively around the cave's clearing, not a flicker of courage of anyone to be the first to head into the cave, and Wintermane began to feel his earlier pride fade the longer he stared at the unicorns body.

Knowing something must be done, he cleared his throat and prepared himself to issues orders. His words however, were cut off when a roaring sound of screams a shrieks were heard from the cave, causing the hairs of each pony's mane to rise. Then, a group of bat ponies burst from the cave, some flying straight into the air towards the pegasi, while the rest darted across the ground.

But if the sight of them performing a head charged into the shocked line of soldiers hadn't been the worst of the matter, the red eyes that Wintermane spotted attached to the blurry shape leading that charge drove it home, along with the sight of an orb as black as any night floating behind him, and growing larger with each step they took. Wintermane had only a moment to see that it had been sprouting from the cave, before it grew in such size and speed that it enveloped the entire clearing.

And everything became dark.

* * *

Night Walker had used vampony magic to quickly establish communication with their benefactor, setting up last minute plans to receive their arrival in multiple locations. Ruby was equally curious on how he managed to do it, as well as who it was they were working with, deciding she would no longer be kept in the dark on such a important matter. But Night Walker had simply said that she would meet him in due time, as he would personally greet her group in Fillydelphia.

Then they dispatched the scouting unicorns that had appeared with ease, leaping upon them from the shadows from all directions. Though the unicorns fought valiantly for some moments, they were subdued quickly. Three of them were quickly dispatched, and the fourth was left alone as per Night Walker's orders. When the unicorn saw he was outmatched, and had been given a moment, he had immediately prepared a teleportation spell.

Though he was quick, Night Walker was quicker. And so it was to the unicorns horror, during a heartbeats moment before the spell was completely, he had been faintly aware of a razor edged wing flashing past his head, and the sensation of being able to breath from his throat.

Afterwards, Night Walker and Ruby quickly drained the remaining three bodies, and to her bewilderment, Night Walker also drank a mouthful of her blood as well. She had been initially against it, but he explained that alicorn blood was stronger, that it would be needed for what he was about to do, him mentioning they had done similar tactics in the past, and the direness of the situation was all that was needed to convince her.

The plan then was for him and a preselected group of bat ponies to rush outside and distract the guards. Some bat ponies were to knock down the pegasi from the air, while the others held a defensive line with Night Walker on the ground. To tie the plan together, he would cast a spell that would engulf the entire area within a black sphere, siphoning the shadows of the cave and maintaining it with Ruby's blood, as well as any additional guards his fangs would chance upon.

It had taken no less that three stern glares to silence Ruby on her curiosity of the mechanics of the spell.

With the sphere reaching the tree line to prevent the ground forces from seeing the sky, the pegasi were effectively isolated, leaving the bat ponies a chance to ground them to clear escape routes as well as prevent them from seeing the directions in which they would fly to.

Night Walker explained to the first group that the center of the spell will be pitch black even for the bat ponies, effectively hiding them completely should they need to retreat. But the edges were thin and would only filter some of the sunlight.

When the spell had been cast, the majority of the pegasi had been caught within the outskirts of the spell, feeling as if they were just below the surface of a colorless ocean, and below them lay uncharted murky depths where unknown things slept. And before they could pull themselves out, they were greeted with the sight of hooves and snarling faces of bat ponies appearing from those depths and dragging them under.

Their screams were easily heard when Ruby cleared the cave.

"First group head on out!" Ruby shouted as she stepped aside for the ponies behind her. The sound of their beating hooves and flapping wings indicated to her that they had jumped airborne and were quickly pouring out of the cave. The elders and children, along with their parents, were the first groups to flew out, hoping to get as much of a head start as possible while the rest brought up the rear.

It was Ruby's job to ensure as many bat ponies left the cavern before she joined her group, shouting directions in the shadows when they were clear of the cave and which way to take off so that they could begin towards their designated destinations.

The sounds of combat were heard clearly inside the darkness, causing her look out in the direction the sounds came from now and then even though she could not see them. The bat ponies on the ground were not supposed to engage directly with the guard, but rather to taunt them from the edge of the shadows and take down any pony that dared to stray into its depths. The same could not be said however, for the ones focused on the pegasi, tackling them in the air and throwing them down towards the ground so that they could become lost in the darkness.

"Incoming!" a pony shouted before the sudden glow of red light tared across the darkness. Ruby looked on with wide eyes as the illuminating shape of a fireball seared across the blackness, revealing the silhouettes pegasi who stumbled about the ground in a daze for only a few moments. It kept coming towards her until collided into the side of the cave, only some feet away from the mouth where Ruby stood, causing her to throw her wings up to protect herself from the debris of earth that exploded from the impact.

She squinted her eyes at the sudden projectile before it snuffed itself out in the dirt. _The unicorns! They must be firing blindly into the spell._

Their time was shortening, and everypony needed to get out of the cave and fast, least one of the unicorns score a lucky shot and hit the evacuating ponies with a fatal inferno.

"Keep going! You're almost there!" Ruby shouted urgently, straining her ears past the sounds of fighting to listen for the passing groups.

"Number sixty reporting!" one pony yelled as she ran by.

 _Good,_ Ruby thought. _Only twenty-five left before evacuation is complete._

The darkness was illuminated again as another fireball careened through the air, causing the ponies within the clearing to scatter before it landed just before the cave, throwing embers that touched the hooves of the fleeing bat ponies taking flight.

 _Why hasn't that unicorn been dealt with? What is Night Walker and the rest doing up there? What if it hits the ones who are busy in the distraction?_

Gritting her teeth, she charged down the small slope and took off in the direction of the fireballs.

 _I don't care what kind of fuss Night Walker makes, I am_ not _allowing a single bat pony die from those flames._

Even though another fireball could already be seen, briefly lighting the area around her, she shut her eyes instead, only to open them moments later as glowing white orbs, and made for the edges of the spell.

* * *

"I SAID STOP SHOOTING THOSE SPELLS!" Wintermane yelled to the unicorn some distance away, glaring in anger at the frightened but very skilled magic user who had recklessly began firing into the darkness.

"SECOND GROUP! ADVANCE!"

The next group of unicorns and earth ponies began their charge into the shadows, fearfully glancing about them as the unicorns lit their horns as brightly as possible to reveal as much area as they could. But regardless of how strong they were, they would vanish out of Wintermane's sight when they went further than fifteen feet in. He was unable to send all his forces at once, for the sheer number of them in the darkness would cause too much confusion and they would break ranks easily if they were attacked from above. And it would also prove to be too close of quarters to fire _any_ spell without hurting their own, making them vulnerable to whatever would fly above them in the blackness.

Wintermane clenched his jaw tightly at the developing situation. _How that demon managed to summon such a spell, I have no idea. But it's proving disastrous for us._

He did a double check on the remaining troops, cursing that they had to fall back further into the forest to stay clear of the shadows. He had been tempted to get the pegasi above to see if a gale could disperse the darkness, but they were effectively cut off, and the sounds of familiar voices yelling sent a sense of dread that ground forces weren't the only ones dealing with the bat ponies.

Thus he had given the order to begin advancing into the shadows, despite the warnings they received from its inhabitants. The bat ponies taunted them from within, promising them cruel fates if they entered. Wintermane knew it was a trap as the bat ponies retreated further in as the guard drew closer, but he could not risk time standing around while the pegasi were being attacked. It was all escalating far too much for him to effectively control, and he needed to end it now.

The Princesses had urged that nopony be harmed if possible, and they had stressed to him to attempt at all costs save for his troops lives that the bat ponies were to be caught alive and well. But from what he and his soldiers had seen thus far, he knew mercy was at the back of every stallions mind. The sound of spells crackling and the faint smell of searing flesh drifting into the forest showed that he had guessed his soldiers feelings correct

 _Forgive me, my princesses,_ he had thought to himself when he had issued the next group to advance.

Then, the cry of a stallion in pain rang out from the darkness, before suddenly being cut off, sending a shiver down Wintermane's spine at its eerie echo; the sudden silence bring about the realization that another guard had met a gruesome fate. Its sound was followed by another, and another, until multiple voices could be heard in alarm. Guards he had sent in with the initial waves appeared as they fled away and looked back with horrified faces.

"MONSTER!"

"ITS RIGHT BEHIND ME!"

"BY CELESTIA! IT TOOK FLINT SPARK!"

Wintermane watched in anger and confusion as they stumbled back into the ranks. "What's going!?"

"S-Sir! It's that demon that created this mess! It's slaughtering us left and right!" one of them reported, his already white coat somehow taking on an ethereal appearance from the events he had just witnessed.

The sudden wail of a pony who was momentarily seen being flung out of the darkness and directly into their rows grabbed everyone's attention, then were drawn back to the black spell as a muffled voice could be heard.

Amongst the noise of a spell being shot off or a scream there, the growing sound of a low laugh reached the ears of Wintermane and his nearby by guard. It was a humorous laugh that caused them to stiffen, and send a primal fear deep into their chests. It was the sound of something that defied everything he believed in.

Two twinkling orbs of white were spotted within the blackness, giving the appearance of a creature watching them from a void. The flashed out a few times in what he assumed was blinking, before disappearing entirely. And the body those eyes belong to, purposely strode out from the shadows.

The surrounding darkness trailed off him in thin wisp's as if they tried to remain attached to his body. And when they cleared, they saw clearly for the first time the creature that had been murdering their comrades.

A black stallion with blood oozing down his lips and neck stood regally before them, his matching crimson eyes slowly taking in the horrified expressions of the guards. His silver mane similarly had left over blood splattered on it here and there, causing it to become damp and cling to his body, and his wide leathery wings that flashed out with hooked ends gleamed dully from the innards and bits of flesh that hung from them.

It truly looked like a monstrosity out of the worst nightmare to Wintermane, a monster that merely regarded them with a sly smirk that indicated little more than a playful mood.

"Gentlecolts…" he spoke, causing them to stiffen at how eloquent and calm his voice was. "As delightful as a time I am having letting off some steam onto you all, I would not recommend continuing anymore, least you wish to suffer more casualties in this foalish endeavor of yours."

The black stallion looked over them as he awaited a response, looking as if he was caught between a demeanor of silent amusement, and that of a predator selecting the next prey he would pounce upon.

"Night Walker… I presume," Wintermane said clearly.

Night Walker shifted his eyes to him, and stared intently at him. "Yes, that is one of my names."

"You…" Wintermane paused to gulp to swallow the crack in his voice. "You are hereby judged by Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Release Princess Twilight from your custody, and surrender yourself and the bat ponies."

"No," Night Walker responded promptly, his grin unfaltering in the slightest.

 _Like I expected any different,_ Wintermane thought. "If you do not surrender, you give us no other option but to execute you on the spot. You are out of the cover of your conjuring's, and there are over fifty Guards here, ready to cast their spells and spear you."

Wintermane spoke as loud as he could muster about Night Walker's situation, and felt a kindle of hope as the sounds of metal clinked into position, and every horn began to flare with magic.

"What is your name?" Night Walker asked, completely ignoring the glares of the guards shifting about him.

"...Wintermane."

"Wintermane, have you ever heard of 'der Letzte Drang?" Night Walker asked with a smirk that unnerved the closest ponies to him.

"Can't say that I have," he replied, already igniting his own horn as he felt the conversation come to a close.

"Well, as you can see, I'm quite fed right now," Night Walker cheerfully replied. "But if you happen to prove yourselves competent in a fight, and manage to make me expend some of this extra energy, then you just might be lucky to see it." Then in one moment, Night Walker's facade fell, and his pupils dilated as he revealed his fangs with a wicked grin, and his body shook with excitment. "Or maybe not!"

"FIRE!" Wintermane shouted at once.

The last thing the guard saw was the maniacal expression on Night Walker's face, then the darkness behind him rushing forward and engulfing them all. The air became filled with the sounds of magic crackling and roaring shouts that quickly turned to haunting screams. It was only the few who experienced surreality of the moment in full that were able to hear another sound; the faint soothing whispers of the one would appear illumination for only a moment, and leave with a faint afterimage that would plague the dreams of the ones who lived.

 _Oh fair stranger,_  
 _I greet you this night,_  
 _Stay for awhile,_  
 _Do not fear my bite._

 _It will swiftly come,_  
 _And ease your pain,_  
 _Listen closely now,_  
 _The blood in your veins._

 _Sweetly pass,_  
 _Into better dreams,_  
 _Rest your eyes,_  
 _And fall asleep._

 _As I sing... your final… reprise…_

* * *

Ruby galloped onward through the pitch black. She had yet to see another fireball light up the depths of Night Walker's spell again, but she didn't discount the chance one wouldn't be cast still. By her calculations, there were only a few more ponies left to escape the cave, and all of them would most likely be out in the air by the time she even reached the edge of the spell. But that still left the ones within the spell, still open to any outside magic, and she didn't want to risk waiting for Night Walker to be the one rounding them all when there time came to flee.

She nimbly dodged around the bodies of grounded pegasi, easily seeing their flickering souls like shining beacons in the suffocating black. They called out for others nearby to regroup, or moaned unintelligibly from the pain of broken wings in their fall. Ruby passed them by silently, and carefully approached each batpony she came across. Identifying herself quickly, she told them the evacuation was successful, and send them off in a clear directions to catch up with their groups.

But even as carefully as she avoided the differing shape of the guards souls, her hooves caught on an unforeseen object, and their glowing lights twinkled out as her chin hit the ground. Stunned for a moment, she propped herself up and silently cursed herself for tripping on a rock. Her self berating however, ended when her back legs brushed against the object again, and felt that it was soft.

Confused, she lit her horn only enough to reveal just enough around her immediate area, then gasped in shock at what she had fallen over. A batpony; dead on the ground, and with half their body burned beyond recognition. It was only then that the smell of searing flesh reached her nose.

Ruby shuffled away quickly while forcibly holding down the urge to vomit, her eyes locked onto batpony as she shook her head back and forth slowly.

"No…" she choked. _his wasn't supposed to happen…. We were only supposed to attack the pegasi and leave them stranded. The rest were going to hold of the unicorns and earth ponies near the edges of the spell._

Ruby felt her eyes watering, unable to tear her eyes away from it.

 _I don't even know who that is… I can't recognize them…_

The face had taken the brunt of the damage, leaving most of the back end untouched. Ruby noted this and more, hardly aware of the stream of tears sliding down her face, or the change of light within the area as a soft blue began to mix with her purple. It was only when the sound of a horn crackling with magic preparing to cast a spell did she take notice, and numbly turned her head around.

Behind her stood a white stallion staring grimly at her, his cheeks damp with drying tears as he glared at her. What caught her attention the most however, was his eyes. They were still red on the edges, but they were narrowed and set with a look of pain, judgement, and vengeance. From the stories she had heard, she imagined that the guards who treated the bat ponies poorly must have looked at this just like this.

Ruby had only a moment to see the expression however, before it vanished into one of disbelief and expression of the stallions face however, changed instantaneously as he h

"P… Princess Twilight?" the stallion asked.

Ruby stared blankly at him, wondering why he hadn't unleashed the spell he had been charging onto her.

"Princess Twilight!" he then shouted with joy, and quickly discharged his horb, leaving only enough magic to light the space around them, his blue mingling with her still glowing purple. He then thrusted a hoof towards her. "Quickly! We must get you out of here!"

Ruby flinched away from his hoof and stared wordlessly up, her mind still caught in the lock of everything.

He nudged his hoof to her again. "Come on! We need to get you out of here! We must return you to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna at once!"

Ruby did not know why the stallion was referring to her as Twilight; it wasn't a name she recognized. But she did recognize the last two he had said, and the mention of them was more than enough to snap her out of her daze.

She threw open her wings and slapped his hoof away with a scowl. "You can't take me back! I won't be their prisoner ever again!"

The unicorn opened his mouth, and fidgeted on his hooves as he withdrew he hoof. "But… but I… we're here to..."

He however, did not finish his explanation or his attempt to understand what was happening, and was instead suddenly tackled into the ground by a batpony who had leapt from the darkness nearby.

Ruby blinked in surprise as she watched the two of them rolled on the ground, the guard grunting in effort to wrestle off the batpony who snarled above him.

"PRINCESS TWILIGHT! GET OUT OF HERE WHILE YOU CAN! I'LL HOLD THIS MONSTER OFF!" the unicorn shouted.

"PRINCESS RUBY! GO! I CAN HANDLE IT!" the batpony yelled in kind.

"E-…Ebon Wing?" Ruby asked in disbelief.

Before she think further on it, the guard managed to get the upper hoof in the struggle, and flipped the slightly smaller Ebon Wing onto his back, and pinned him down with his hooves. The guard gritted his teeth as he stared hatefully down at Ebon Wing, illuminating the area around them with more light as his horn filled with magic. Ebon Wing fruitlessly beat his hooves against him, snarling in a furious fashion that only caused the guard to look onto him in disgust.

The guard grunted as he prepared the last moment of the spell and threw his head back, readying himself to snap it forward and unleash all his magic onto Ebon Wing. But before he could, a feral scream ripped loose in the darkness, and his body froze as his heart nearly stopped, and time dramatically slowed for him. Within a moment that lasted between the time a heart would take to beat, his eyes turned to his side, and saw a sight that sent a primal fear deep into him.

Ruby was in mid lunge, and nearly upon him. The purple light from her horn clung about the shadows around them in a eerie glow, an effect he had originally mistaken was the reason for the odd coloration in her eyes the first time he saw her, thinking it was a simple reflection. But now he could clearly see they were red. Even more odd he thought, were the pearly white fangs she was baring towards him.

An image past in his mind; a moment from another time. Princess Twilight had passed him in the castle, nodding to him in a friendly matter and looking at hit with warm purple eyes. She had such a glow about her, an air that spoke of gentle compassion and soft understanding. She had taken her time to look at him directly, and nod cheerfully at him, bringing a smile that made him want to turn around on the spot and assist her in any way he could. That chance encounter with her had made him happy for the rest of the day.

Another image; this time in departing Canterlot with the rest of his platoon on a secretive and important mission. Princess Twilight had been taken, and they were going to find her. He had been apart of the initial response team to Ponyville, he had been in her library, and even spoken to her friends. It was a day that had set a firm resolve within him, one that had kept him diligent and determined since. He was going to find Princess Twilight and bring her home. He was prepared to give anything.

He then saw himself only minutes before, steadily advancing into the spell that had engulfed the clearing. He was terrified to enter it, and nearly turned tail on the spot, ready to face desperation than to step a single hoof into the darkness that emanated the promise of death. But he had thought of why they were there, and of Princess Twilight's smile in the hallway, and went in, the courage from his internal promise of bringing her home giving him strength move his hooves.

A guard died next to him, another screamed nearby which turned into gurgling of blood, a batpony hissing defiantly as guard chased after him. The last expression of a close friend as he was yanked out from his horn's light, bringing on a entirely new moment of time of the years they had spent with each other. Tears at the loss around him, confusion as to why it was all happening, and bitter anger for revenge. He damned everything and plunged deep into the spell, pushing his hooves for the goal that would make the deaths of those around him justified; to the thing that would make all this terrible and unnatural situation somewhat bearable. Find Princess Twilight.

Then he found her.

But it wasn't Princess Twilight.

The mare that was inches away was not the alicorn he had seen in the hall. It did not have her eyes that made him hold his breath in awe, but instead ones that looked upon him cruelly. Nor it did have the air about her that tempted his heart for the chance to serve her, but rather stop it's beat and whisper coldly of his death. The thing that was slowly sinking its teeth into his neck was not the Princess Twilight he remembered and had come to rescue; it was only a monster.

And as the world spun back into time, he wondered, _Where was she?_

Ebon Wing blinked in confusion from the weight that had been holding him down was suddenly gone, and the blue light that lit the area gave way, leaving only the color of purple coalesced with the shadows. Shakily, he sat himself up and looked around, wondering how he was still alive. The reason though, was immediately clear when he saw Ruby a short distance away, standing over the still form of the stallion.

She breathed heavily as she lifted her head from the body, letting her disheveled mane hang haphazardly about her. Blood was splattered upon it and her lips, matching the red in her eyes as she scanned the darkness around them, her ears splayed back at the sounds ponies fighting around them that had returned with sudden clarity.

It was the first time that Ebon Wing had seen her acting in the supposed role as a vampony princess, a stark contrast to the happy and caring mare he had come to known in the cavern that would annoy him with constant questions and patient urging to get him to talk. This was an entirely different pony that stood before him. Everything about her leaked of power, authority, and death.

"Ebon Wing, are you alright?" Ruby asked as she turned to him.

"… I… yeah, I'm okay," he shakily replied.

"Good, where's Night Walker?"

"I-I saw him only a little bit ago. He said that the guards were coming into the darkness and that he was going to take care of them." Ebon Wing gathered himself and stood back on his hooves. "He told me to find the rest of the bat ponies and tell them to join up with the rest while he held off the guard."

"He went by himself!?"

Ebon Wing flinched at her tone. "H-he said that he would be fine, and that he will catch up with the Hayseed Swamp group when he could."

Ruby let out a 'tsk' and bit her lip as she turned her eyes downwards. Ebon Wing glanced about nervously as he waited for her to say something, his ears twisting about at the sound of shuffling guard ponies that were beginning to become far to close for his comfort.

"Okay, we're leaving then." Ruby announced. "You were with my group, right?"

"Y-yes."

"Then let's go." She opened her wings, then gave him a curious glance up and down his body. "Can you fly?"

"I should be good," he said quietly but quickly. He was more than ready to leave. Ruby gave him the first smile he had seen on her all evening.

"Alright then, follow my light. We're flying out of here."

Without wasting another moment, they two of them took wing and made their way upwards. Though it felt much longer, they shortly saw daylight filtering above then. It was as if they were swimming from the depths of the ocean, and had closed their eyes when they burst out and sunlight flooded their vision.

They continued straight upwards while blinking the blindness away, then took in their surroundings. With a quick glance down, Ruby saw the black sphere below them. It engulfed the entire clearing and had even elongated partially into part of the forest she suspected most of the guard resided in. The sounds of spells firing and ponies shouting were faint, and appeared small and out of place compared to the rest of the world that was within sight around her.

"I see them, I think" Ebon Wing announced while holding a hoof above his eyes.

Squinting, Ruby turned to where he was looking, and spotted the blurry spots of figuring flying in the distance.

"Good catch. Come on!" Ruby said before the two of them pushed themselves in hot pursuit.

* * *

It was some miles before Ruby and Ebon Wing had finally caught up with the groups quick pace, now far away with the forest and Night Walker's no longer in sight. A heavy expression lifted from Mist Hoof's face when he saw the two of them, and slowed the group until Ruby met with him in the front. Ruby inquired how the group did on their evacuation, and Mist Hoof on her delay, followed by Ebon Wing filling in the gaps on what he had experienced at the edge of the spell. When they neared the end of their discussion, it became sorrowfully apparent that they were missing five ponies. Mist Hoof had hoped that they would arrive with Ruby, but she and Ebon Wing stated that there were none left that they saw. And though it was expressed that it was possible they had gone with a different group on accident, the hopeful thought was dashed when Ruby reluctantly revealed her grim encounter with the burned bat pony.

They flew on in silence for the remainder of the flight.

By the time they reached the rendezvous coordinates, night time had fallen on Equestria, shrouding the land in a much more visible and comforting darkness for them. Soon the lights of a small town appeared in the horizon, and they flew along it's outskirt until they arrived above a dimly lit train station sitting at the towns edge. Below, the figure of a single pony standing in the loading area was clearing seen.

They circled above the train station well above and out of sight, carefully inspecting the surrounding area to ensure sure there was no pony else. When all appeared clear, Ruby had them land a distance away in the shadows, and much to the reluctance of Mist Hoof, trotting carefully by herself to the platform. She glanced warily around for the potential guard that might leap out of some hiding spot as she approached, and walked onto the loading area where the pony stood..

The moment she saw him, her initial thoughts was that his entire appearance screamed the word 'butler' in every possible manner. From the way he held himself, right down to his cutie mark of a decorated platter. He was a brown unicorn with grey edges about him indicating his age, equally matched by his grey mustache. His mane was slicked back in a professional manner, and his eyes—to her suspicion—held not a single flicker of surprise or of any emotion for the matter when he saw her.

A moment of silence passed between them, before he spoke duly, "Princess Ruby, I presume?"

"… Yes, that's me," Ruby replied cautiously.

Nodding his head slightly in affirmation, he turned fully to her direction and sweep his hoof over the train. "Please aboard the train along with your guests. We are running a bit behind schedule and we have ground that must be made up."

Ruby narrowed her eyes as she sized herself up. "We're late because we were attacked. Ponies _died_ so we could get here."

"My condolences," he simply replied.

The urge to leap upon the old stallion and rip his throat out nearly overwhelmed her, but she forced herself not to act on the instinct, and instead focus on the more important task of seeing her ponies to safety. With hesitation to pull her eyes from him, she called out to the group, and watched intently as the bat ponies quickly rushed from the shadows and onto the train, glancing about them with fear and worry.

No sooner than had all of them boarded did the trains engine began to churn, and steadily begin its way down the tracks.

The rooms within the train were a godsend compared to the living conditions they had in the cave. Here they had beds, already prepared fruit, and soft pillows to rest on. The exhausted and weary bat ponies heavy spirits lifted slightly at these welcomed amenities, finally allowing themselves to rest after the day's ordeal. The children apart of the group seemed to recover some of the energy as they bounced about on their beds in their respective cabins, causing the parents to gently usher them under the covers so they could get some rest, though not without a much needed smile at their antics.

The butler pony who had yet to reveal his name escorted them through the carts, seemingly have no difficulty navigating the darkened rooms and hallways as well as they did. He recommended to keep the lights off as too not reveal themselves through bright windows, and the suggestion was taken unanimously, if not for the sole reason of comfort the darkness held.

Though he initially began to lead her to her room, Ruby stated that she would see to every other pony first, and followed him as he guided them to their rooms. She was unwilling to put her head to rest until she saw each of them at ease.

"Your room, Princess Ruby," the butler duly announced as he opened the door to a rather large room. Each cabin had been as series of bunks allowing four to six ponies to sleep somewhat comfortably. Her bed however, nearly filled the entire room.

But she was simply too tired to argue against it, and did not feel like dealing with the butler's dry attitude of insisting she stayed in her instead of a simpler room. She instead mumbled a 'Thanks', and flopped onto the bed.

"Sweet dreams," he said in what she thought was in the most non-concerning manner she had ever heard, then left while closing the door.

 _Everything about him screams cliché,_ she thought to herself.

Groaning out the last of her frustration, she sprawled out onto the bed and focused on the softness of the mattress and comforter beneath her. _I really shouldn't be enjoying this so much…_ she lightly scolded herself. But it had been a long day, long enough for her and every bat pony to sleep despite it being night time.

 _This is really going to screw with me sleep schedule._

 _~*Sigh* You're telling me..._

Ruby snapped her eyes open as she looked about the small room. "What was that?"

Silence passed, until she heard a voice ask hesitantly, _~Can... can you hear me now?_ When Ruby stiffened at hearing the voice again, it became very frantic and excited. _~Oh my gosh! You can hear me! Finally! Oh how I've been waiting for something like this!_

Shuffling herself into an upright position, Ruby looked each and every way for the source of the feminine voice; even resorting to checking under her pillow.

"Who's there? Where are you?"

 _~You... you don't know who I am?_ the voice then said dejectedly.

 _Why does it sound so familiar?_

 _~Well, probably because I'm you,_ it answered. In bewilderment, she realized that she was hearing the voice inside her head.

Ruby let out a small gasp at its reply. With her eyes still wide, she looked thoughtfully down onto the covers.

 _H-… hello?_

 _~Hello.~_

Laying herself back down, she hesitantly thought aloud, _Who… Who are you?_

 _~I already told you. I'm you. Well... a part of you of least.~_

Ruby narrowed her eyes, and had a sudden idea.

 _We'll see about that._ Closing her lids, she brought out the familiar feeling of Soul Sight and directed her gaze inward, searching her soul for the source of the voice, not entirely sure she would find it. But it wasn't long before she recognized something she did not remember seeing before, and felt a sinking feeling within her as she examined it closely.

 _When did that get there?_

 _~I~_ the voice emphasized, _~appeared when you kept shoving me away. You had no intention of listening to me, so I did what I had to do so you couldn't bury me down anymore.~_

 _Really?_ Ruby thought sourly. _Let's put that to the test._

Directing her focus, she worked her magic on the odd part within her, willing it to disassemble or reshape as she had done with Shade Flare during his transformation.

 _~I don't think that's not going to work.~_

 _Shutup!_ Ruby replied as she scrunched her face in concentration. But the voice was right, no matter what she did she was unable to affect it in even the slightest of ways. It was as if it was but wasn't a part of her; a separate section of her soul that remained outside of her influence. Finally realizing that she was inexplicably powerless to modify it, she looked to its structure for some clue.

The thing was only a small piece with only a minor amount of bridges to the other parts of her soul. It was mainly attached to her emotions, possibly its source location when Ruby recalled the various times she felt an odd sensation over the past few weeks. If it was what she suspected, then she believed it to be that exact feeling manifested. Ruby attempted to isolate it by dismantling the bridges, but they too were protected by whatever force was responsible for not allowing her to tamper with its design. Unable to fully understand it let alone affect it, she reluctantly continued the unusual conversation.

 _What are you? Why are you here?_

Ruby waited in frustration for it to explain itself, ready to snap at whatever reason it could muster. But when it did not reply, her scowl fell. She craned her head to see if she could hear it again, thinking that whatever it was might have vanished as sudden as it had appeared. But it did eventually speak again, causing Ruby to flinch with its sullen tone.

 _~I don't know...~_

 _You... don't know why you're here?_ Ruby asked tentatively, feeling her guard against the voice beginning to slip at the knowledge it might know as little as her.

 _~I'm afraid so.~_

The tension in Ruby eased some as she turned her head to stare idly at the window, running over possible ideas on what was happening. She was too tired to deal with whatever was happening, and only had little energy and willpower to figure it out. She didn't know what it was, but it did not pose an immediate threat from what she observed, and now looked onto it with tired curiosity. Before she could ask a series a questions she came up with however, it spoke first, and did so in an unfriendly attitude.

 _~But the thing I do know is that I don't like what you have been doing lately. You have been awful and cruel. And... I'm not going to stand for it anymore!~_

Ruby raised an eyebrow in annoyance. _Really? Because If you are apart of me then you should know why I've been doing the things I have done. Right?_

 _~Of course I do,~_ it snapped back.

 _So you don't think I should be helping the bat ponies?_

 _~No! I never said that!~_ it replied. _~I just don't agree with_ how _you've been doing things.~_

 _Well, that's going to be tough because unless you can control my body, you're not going to have a say on things._ Ruby dared. It was however, only a few moments of quick retrospection before she cautiously asked, _Are you able to take control of my body?_

 _~No, I don't think so...~_ it sighed. _~But I do have say on what you do whether you like it or not.~_

 _Which I can already tell I'm not,_ Ruby interjected smartly.

 _~But,~_ it said in annoyance to her comment. _~Despite what you think, I am an important part of you I believe you are neglecting. So I will be verbally reminding you of things you have apparently forgotten.~_

 _And what's that?_ Ruby asked sarcastically, not entirely certain if she should listen to the voice or ignore it until she could find a way to get rid of it. She briefly considered if it was a mutation from the alicorn magic, or some sort of feedback from the transformation with Shade Flare, which only reminded her that she never had the chance to study in detail the anomaly that appeared in his soul.

 _~I don't know,~_ it answered matter of factly, ignoring a frustrated snort from Ruby who did not liking the repeating and useless answer.

 _~Flick your tail about as much as you want, but the fact is I'm here and I can talk now. And regardless of how you feel about me, I'm not going away.~_


	26. Chapter 26

_"There is a celebration tonight, one to signify our recent and successful contract issued from the Noble's out in the Highlands, and to congratulate our newest family members. They performed exceptional during the ambush, and reacted appropriately when the enemy's reinforcements arrived. I have decided to recognize them tonight during the initial ceremony. It will do their spirits good, as well as make their chooser's proud for selecting them._

 _No doubt that their actions will be popular during the next few weeks, of how they devastated the opposing forces and drank more than their fill multiple times over. At times, I wonder how other ponies see us when we arrive on the battlefield. How do they feel when they see our fangs and crimson eyes? Do they curse us when we slip past their guard and disrupt their defences? Or do they weep at the knowledge that only a few—if any—of them will survive or be spared and allowed to retreat?_

 _I wonder what they are thinking of as they drag their tails home…_

 _-Ruby Sparkle"_

Despite how hard everypony tried, and how soothing the gentle rocking motions of the train was, the majority of the bat ponies found they were only able to manage a few hours of sleep, and were now mulling about the train compartments in either the common areas or their bed cabins.

Ruby shortly joined them to see how each pony was doing, finding herself also unable to sleep in addition of finding the strange voice in her head silent and unresponsive. In one moment it had been there criticising her, then after what seemed only like a few seconds of shuteye, it was gone. How it had appeared or even its purpose, Ruby did not know, but decided it would be a mystery to solve another time. Right now, her ponies needed her, and she desperately hoped to rekindle their spirits.

Her presence however, did not have the entire effect she desired. No matter how supportive she was, or condoling to the ones that stared at the empty bed across them that should have had a friend, she found it was a mood that would not fade anytime soon. The weight of the day's memories hung heavily on their faces, even the ones who managed to smile when they saw her.

Though Ruby knew the dark mood would not fade easily, and that by just being there was the best thing she could do, it still made her feel helpless. Sitting beside them and listening was all she could do, and would do. She was intent on being present for the ones who had been closest to the ones that were lost, and would stay by them for any length of time they requested. It was as she thought, her duty as their Princess, and punishment for have being unable to protect them.

Ruby and the parents however, found some joy at the fact that the children were at least managing sleep. So as to not disturb them, Ruby only spent a few moments in the family cabins, passing on that others were in the food cart and to make sure they eat soon. But when she entered Lily Wing and Lunar Pearl's room, she was invited to say, and sat across in the bed across from them.

As Ruby and Lily Wing talked, Lunar Pearl remained fast asleep next to her sister, tucked beneath the covers and huddled against Lily Wing's body. Were it not for her tuft ears twitching in agitation, or the scrunching of her face at who knows what in her dreams, Ruby might have thought she might have escaped the days ordeal without the pains everypony else had suffered. Whenever Lunar Pearl squeezed her eyes tightly, or let out a meek moan of discomfort, Lily Wing would turn her weary eyes to her, and rub her hoof gently up and down her back through the covers, easing her back to what the two mares hoped might be a more peaceful dream.

"I can't believe Gravel is gone…" Lily Wing said quietly.

"How well did you know him?" Ruby replied equally quiet.

"More than most. He was one of my best friends growing up," Lily Wing said with a sigh. "Him and me, along with a few others, were inseparable as kids. We were always running around the town causing mischief where ever we could, just to do anything to pass the time within the walls. We had some pretty good times growing up…"

Though Lily Wing was looking at her sister, Ruby saw how distant they were actually looking. "What kind of pony was he?" Ruby asked tentatively.

Lily Wing made a half snort as she smirked. "He was helpful to a fault, always was willing to lend a hoof or wing to anypony that needed it. It got him in trouble a few times, but he would still help out even the pony that got him in trouble anyways, regardless of his punishment. Some bat ponies took advantage of that for a while. But when he was around us we'd make sure he was alright."

Lily Wing then manage to let out a small laugh. "I remember this one time, we were hiding on one of the rooftops. Him, me, and a few other friends. We brought some rocks with us to chuck at different stuff, seeing who could throw the farthest or hit the smallest target. But we ran out and nopony wanted to fly down and get more. So we asked Gravel to get more because some thought it was funny since his name meant he would be the best for it, and because we'd knew he would be the only one to do it."

Lily Wing turned to Ruby smiled weakly. "So when he flew down and gathered as many as he could, he tried to fly back up to us. But every time he would get a few feet off the ground, one of the stones would slip out and he would go right back down to pick it back up." She closed her mouth as she held back a laugh that might have woken Lunar Pearl. "H-He probably landed and took off a dozen times because he was too stubborn to leave a few stones behind. Eventually, we flew down to help him, but all of us were laughing the whole time because his face was just so funny when he kept glaring at the rocks."

Lily Wing's chest quivered as she held giggled quietly, reminiscing the time with a fondness she had never held for it before. "It was such a silly thing, how he wasn't able to hold all of them. It was so stupid and small, but I can't get it out of my head."

Ruby watched quietly as Lily Wing tried to hold back her laughs. She couldn't bring herself to say anything, and only found her heart sinking as she watched her play over some invisible street in another time. Her distant eyes became dull, her silly grin slowly turned upside down, creating creased lines for the stray tears to follow, and her breathing turned into something hollow and ragged.

It took every ounce of Ruby's strength to not pry her eyes from her, and to not let her vision become blurry as she saw every moment of Lily Wing's pain.

It was only after sometime when Lily Wing manage to breath again normally, and began wiping her eyes did Ruby dare to speak. "Did… you love him?"

"Huh?" Lily Wing replied, taken aback by the question. "Oh… oh no," she said, followed by a short laugh as she cleared the moisture from her face. "No, me and him weren't anything like that. He was nice and all, one of the best friends I've ever had, but that's all we were. He actually has a special somepony back in…"

Lily Wing's voice trailed off as brought her hooves to her mouth. "By the night… I had almost forgotten about Wisp. Oh my goodness… she… she doesn't even know that he's… he's…"

Lily Wing choked, unable to even finish her sentence. "She doesn't know… and his brother in the Vanhoover group doesn't… he doesn't…"

"Lily, I…" Ruby had started, fearful that she might panic further and distress herself beyond her control, but still found nothing to say.

But she didn't need too as Lily Wing lowered her head, profusely wiping away fresh tears, and forcing herself to breath deeply and hold back her quivering chest. Slowly but surely, her shakes calmed her tears dried, and her breathing became normal, causing her to look as normal as she could be with only the small edition of red eyes and stained cheeks.

"I'm… I'm alright," she breathed. "It's okay…"

"Lily Wing, you've lost a friend," Ruby said softly. "It's not okay…"

"I know, but he hasn't been the first," she replied, swallowing the breaks in her voice as she regained her composure. "Maybe the first in a fight… but I think if he had to die, he would have preferred this than lying in a bed around some unicorns who wouldn't be able to do thing."

She lifted her head and looked back to Ruby, and wore a neutral face that betrayed the last few minutes. "If there is one thing we've learned living in Dusk Town, it's being able to accept hard things." Her eyes however, remained distant if not indifferent. "From learning that you are different than other ponies, to realizing that you can never go outside the walls, that you have to live your entire life in that place, to never seeing ponies you know ever again…"

Lily Wing took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. "I don't know if it's because we're part vampony... or if it's just how we we're raised to think, but we've had to learn to accept the hard facts of life. Death… is just one of them."

Ruby wanted to say something. She wanted to say _a lot_ of things. But like with everypony that night, she found she couldn't say anything. There were no words that she could put together that would make any of what happened even remotely okay or better. Yet, she could not let that first sentence slide.

"By becoming vamponies," Ruby began, "you will still have to deal with it, if not more…" Lily Wing opened her mouth to object, but Ruby spoke before she could. "But… even if you still have to deal with it, it won't be the same." Ruby turned her gaze out the window, staring wistfully into the night. "You dealt with the difficulties of life without freedom, and suffered by the decisions of others. But by becoming a vampony, you can get your freedom back. After that, anything is possible, even your own death can be something you can say no too…"

Lily Wing stared long and hard at Ruby, looking onto her with awe like she had before during her speech. When it became apparent Ruby had become lost in thought as she looked out the window, Lily Wing gave a small smile, and returned to rubbing Lunar Pearl's back, both of them content to share each other's company in silence for the time.

It was then that sometime later that Lily Wing had guessed to be no more than an hour, Lunar Pearl let out a small yawn and she rose from the bed, rubbing her eyes as she woke from her semi-restful sleep.

"Lily…" she asked groggily.

"I'm here," Lily Wing cooed, before pulling her gently into a hug. "Did you have a good sleep?"

"Hm-hmm," Lunar Pearl hummed, still blinking herself awake. She eventually looked around her in her dazed state, taking a few moments to notice Ruby across from ontop of the other bed. "Princess Ruby? What are you doing in our room?" Lunar Pearl asked as she rubbed her eyes.

"Your sister and I were just having a talk," Ruby replied. "How are you feeling?"

"Hungry…"

With a giggle, Ruby hopped off the bed and took a few steps to the door. "I'll get you some fruit from the dinning cart."

"Actually, can I go with?" Lunar Pearl asked, all traces of her sleepiness already gone. Before Ruby could answer, Lunar Pearl craned her head upwards to her sister. "Can we go with her?"

Lily Wing failed to miss the emphases on 'we' in her question, something she hadn't heard her do in a long time, and smiled in reply. "Sure, let's go get some food."

* * *

The three of them left the cabin and headed down the dark narrow corridor with only the moonlight filtering through small windows to light their way. As they passed the few doors and transitioned into the next cart, Ruby's mind churned in concentration at the chance to finally analyze their situation.

So far it seemed the train had been prepared specifically for them, having been completely empty save for the small staff that she assumed operated it in the front along with the butler. But thus far, there had been no sign of any pony besides the stoic servant. Ruby gathered that perhaps the train had been readied in advance with only a minimal but isolated crew to manage it, keeping them apart from their mysterious guests as to not reveal they were actually transporting a fugitive group wanted by the crowns.

It seemed whoever had funded and supplied their speedy transportation had done well to ensure everything remained as discreet as possible from what she gathered. While she still had her doubts about the butler, he seemed hardly fazed at her and the group of bat ponies he saw to. While no reaction was as worrying than reaction, thoughts of accidentally bumping into a cook or other staff member played across her mind, and she wondered if they were as reserved as the butler. But at this point, there was simply no telling who knew about them, or how they would behave.

While their supposed benefactor had appeared prepared and thus far trustworthy, Ruby had never met him nor even learned his name; a detail she now scolded herself over for never getting back in the cave. Night Walker seemed to have trusted him enough to put her and the bat ponies in his hoof for safe keeping, but he was no longer here. And that fact troubled Ruby greatly.

The vampony lord was who knows how far away, unable to assist them in any fashion should their situation turn dire. Which meant from here on out, the safety and well-being of her bat ponies was entirely dependent on her. She alone held the final decision in whatever actions that concerned them, and she would be responsible for the results. One wrong choice, could mean the death of her ponies.

Suddenly, Ruby realized how much she had depended on Night Walker presence, and how little she knew of things. There were much she was kept in the dark and not aware while Night Walker was beside her, feeling that perhaps he was giving her time to recover from her thousand year ordeal that she still could not recall. While that was understandable, it now left her in the precarious role of being the sole leader of the group, and it was a burden that weighed heavily on her mind.

 _Maybe I should have gone with Shade Flare… No, I can't think like that._

Narrowing her eyes, she glanced over her shoulder to Lily Wing and Lunar Pearl following behind. They looked to her curiously as they passed through another empty cart, wondering why she was looking at them so. But when Ruby gave out a relaxed sigh and smiled warmly to them, they responded in kind with smiles of their own.

 _Despite how afraid I am for them, I can't let that stop me,_ Ruby told herself as she looked forward again. _I can watch out for them by myself. I've done it in the past, I can do it again._

With renewed faith in her ability to make sound choices on her actions there on out, Ruby adopted a protective bearing towards anything that could potentially pose a threat to her or her ponies, telling herself she would not allow her guard to drop while they were under her wing. Even the mysterious pony who had provided this luxurious train for them would be held in scrutiny.

 _I don't care if Night Walker trusts him. I will decide what is safe to trust or not. And no pony is beyond my suspicions of being a threat._

The memory of a wounded green mare who appeared as a simple but friendly traveler flashed across her mind. She recalled vividly how quick that cheerful disposition turned into one of hatred as she struck at her and Lunar Pearl. From that mare, to the guards who had called them monsters inside Night Walker's spell, Ruby felt that there were no ponies save her own kin that she could trust at this point.

She could not afford false and naive hope with her ponies on the line.

Eventually, they made their way up to the food cart, having past multiple barren rooms as a result of how the little the bat ponies filled the expansive train. There, they found a few bat ponies already sitting about the booths positioned near the windows, munching away silently at the fruit that was brilliantly displayed on nearby tables with white cloths, or staring thoughtfully out into the passing nighttime landscape.

"Wow!" Lunar Pearl exclaimed before rushing over to the confections displayed in fanciful styles. Everypony in the cart turned their heads at the sound of her excited voice, easing themselves back to their seat at their recognition of her running across the floor, and the comforting sight of their princess behind her.

Ruby gave a nod of affirmation to all of them while Lily Wing walked to join her sister who was already staring hungrily at the different types of fruit available. Deciding to leave the two of them to prepare their plates, Ruby moved to an available seat at a booth occupied by a few bat ponies, Mist Hoof being one of them.

"Princess Ruby," he respectively spoke at her arrival, his gruff voice sound as scratchy as ever.

"Hello, Mist Hoof," she replied as she sat next to him, giving similar hello's to the other two across the table shortly; a mare and a stallion. "How is everypony holding up?"

"The food is good," Mist Hoof simply answered. Ruby noticed that while the fruit his plate before him indeed looked more delicious than the ones that were picked from the forest by the cave, hardly any of them appeared to have been touched. The other two ponies plates seemed just as nibbled on as well she realized with a quick glance.

Narrowing her eyes, Ruby lit her horn and floated a piece of mango from Mist Hoof's plate and delicately plopped it into her mouth. Despite its hollow like taste it had as with any food besides blood, she still enjoyed the hint of sweetness on her tongue while chewing it thoroughly.

The three bat ponies around her stared blankly at her action, not entirely sure of what to say as she looked skeptically back at them. After gulping the fruit down, she raised an eyebrow.

"What? If you aren't going to eat them, somepony else might." When they remained stunned at her behavior, Ruby glanced to another plate and spotted a lumpcious strawberry. "Ooo, that looks good." Smiling, she grabbed ahold of it and brought it towards her.

"H-hey!" the stallion the plate belonged to started, raising a hoof with intent to snatch the strawberry back in midair. But he immediately clammed up and brought his hoof beside him with a nervousness that held him in check.

"What's the matter?" Ruby asked with a mischievous grin. "Do you want it?"

"N-no… you may have it, Princess," he mumbled while looking away, lowering his tuft ears in submission.

Ruby narrowed her brows at being unable to elicit a reaction from the stallion. Closing her eyes to let her frustration cool, she calmly spoke, "If you are going to eat, then why have you all barely touched your food?"

"Princess," Mist Hoof spoke up, starting to become cross from her actions. "We've lost good ponies today. So forgive us if our _appetite_ is lacking."

"I'm fully aware of that," Ruby replied. Mist Hoof was about to open his mouth again in retort, but caught himself when she opened her eyes and looked directly at him, her face stern and beset with a multitude of emotions hidden subtly on her. He had seen similar looks before during his life, the kind only those who stared defiantly at everything that made life difficult, but unable to do a thing about it. The difference between others and hers however, was that she believed something could be done about it.

"I know there are some who can't be with us right now, sharing this feast and comforts on this train," Ruby spoke. "But that does not excuse yourselves in denying food, especially when your strength is needed now more than ever." Turning her head to the other two she continued, "We are on our way to a city. A large city full of ponies who may or may not be aware of our existence. If the guards were any indication, then I doubt they will accept us with open hooves if they discovered us."

"But Night Walker said we would be safe there," the mare said.

"I don't care what Night Walker said," Ruby replied, an edge to her voice that she only caught after the matter. "We don't know what will happen while we're there. We didn't know that the guard would find the cave in the middle of nowhere, who's to say that they won't find us whatever our hiding spot is in a city full of ponies?"

The three of them were quiet as she tore away through the illusion of safety that the train had brought to them, and feeling foalish that they let themselves believe it if even for a moment.

"We need to be strong, for each other," Ruby said, bringing a hoof to Mist Hoof's shoulder that caused him to blush faintly. "Regardless of whoever we meet, we can only truly trust each other. Which means we need to be prepared for anything that could happen, and that includes even an attack on this train."

"You don't think we would be betrayed do you?" Mist Hoof asked, his voice quickly becoming deep as he put on a serious outlook on things at the mention of danger.

"As of right now, no. I think we are okay," Ruby answered. "But that doesn't mean we can let our guard down." Returning to her stern expression, she finished her thoughts. "Ponies gave their lives today so that we can continue. And we cannot risk that happening again because of something silly like you being famished because you didn't eat when you had the chance." A guilty expression crossed the bat ponies faces as they turned to look back down at their hardly touched meals.

"So eat, replenish your strength, and be ready. Because right now, we only have each other. And we have to remain strong."

They sat in silence for a moment as Ruby's words sank in, thinking over the faces they would not see again, and that if they were not careful, become themselves in the future. The harsh reminder of their situation however, was quickly flipped as the happy moan of a filly behind caused them, and every other pony in the cart, to turn their heads to the source of the noise. In a booth, Lunar Pearl stood on the seat with her front hooves outstretch onto the table, her mouth leaking fruit juice as she chewed away happily with a silly expression. After gulping a large mouthful down, she opened her eyes and revealing that they were wide with joy. "This is the best food I've ever tasted!"

Lily Wing gave a nervous smile to each pony staring, and turned red in embarrassment as Lunar Pearl stuck her head into the pile of fruit again and began to munch loudly. "Lunar Pearl! Some manners please!" Lily Wing hissed beneath her breath before smacking her on the head with a leathery wing.

Ruby giggled along with the growing smiles of each pony who had witnessed the moment, their moods being somewhat lifted at the carefree smiling of Lunar Pearl munching away despite her sister's wing thwacks.

"See?" Ruby said. "Even Lunar Pearl is eating. Now, are you going to finish your meals?"

Slow but sure nods from them, along with a grunt from Mist Hoof, relaxed Ruby's worries. She did not know if it was because of her, or if it was the fact that she was a vampony, but the idea that one should eat during a hard time seemed like a simple notion that everypony should already follow. Maybe it was because her diet was consisted of the life force of other ponies, something that to her seemed to be a respectful way to honor the lives lost by those close to you. If a pony takes away a life, you simply take it back. Such was the way of nature and predators.

 _~I think that's an awful way to look at things.~_

 _Be quiet,_ Ruby replied, before blinking in surprise that the voice had spoken out of nowhere, and seemed to vanish just as quickly.

"Um, excuse me Princess Ruby?" the stallion hesitantly asked.

"Hmm? Oh, yes?" Ruby said snapping back to the conversation.

"May… may I have my strawberry back?"

Ruby tilted her head at the fidgeting stallion, before remembering she still held the small piece of food currently floating in the air between them. "Oh!" she exclaimed, before giving him a mischievous grin. "If you want it, you're going to have to take it," Ruby stated.

The face the batpony made at the bold dare she set on him was absolutely priceless.

"What? A vampony's diet is about taking. So if you want this strawberry, I suggest you take it before I eat it," Ruby said with a smirk. Opening her mouth wide, she slowly began to float the strawberry towards her revealed fangs and hanging tongue, letting out a quiet 'ahhhh' as she inched it closer.

"No!" the stallion shouted before propping himself up onto the table and swiping the floating strawberry, followed by shoving it into his mouth and chewing it quickly, visibly reveling in its sweet taste.

Mist Hoof let out a small chuckle, then erupted into a series of laughs as his wings threatened to open from pure amusement. His hearty laughing caught the attention of everypony in the cart. When all of them looked at him as if he had gone mad, he turned to Ruby with an approving grin.

"Princess Ruby, I was hoping you weren't an uptight princess like Celestia and Luna. And that little act there sealed the deal that you aren't. I think I'm going to like having you lead us."

"You've meet the princesses?" Ruby asked in interest.

Still dwindling down from his laughter, Mist Hoof replied. "Celestia I've meet a few times. When you manage to live to my age, you get to see her visits more than most. And while Luna had only shortly returned from her banishment, she has been more active with us than her sister. To be honest, we'd hoped that her return meant that something could finally be done about our predicament. But we all know how that turned out. If you wish to do so now, I can speak to you all I know of them."

"Later will be fine," Ruby replied, not wanting to ruin the first light hearted mood they were having since last night. "For now, let's eat."

"As you wish," Mist Hoof said before licking his lips. Bringing up large mouthfuls of food, he ate ravenously with an intensity Ruby did not know he was capable of. The conservative senior that seemed to always hold an opinion about anything that he did not agree was necessary, always saying something was too much or risky, ate with gluttony that put even Lunar Pearl to shame. With a twinkle around his older and beginning to wrinkle eyes, he decided to impart an important lesson of life he had learn to the princess. "When there's food about, eat like there's going to be a drought."

When Mist Hoof saw the deadpan look Ruby and the other two gave, he simply shrugged his shoulders. "It's my belief that a big appetite is what I think got me to this age. And from the looks of it, that youngster over there is going to easily outlive me."

Ruby followed Mist Hoof's smiling gaze and saw Lunar Pearl rubbing the top of her head while wincing at the sametime, no doubt feeling the discipline of manners from her sister who held an outstretched hoof that had smacked her. Giggling at the two siblings, Ruby's eyes passed over their shoulders to see the young stallion behind them eating alone.

"Ebon Wing is here," Ruby commented as she watched him nibble his food quietly, his eyes focused on the small debacle the sisters put in front of him.

"Yeah, was surprised myself to see him about," Mist Hoof commented after wiping his mouth with a napkin, having been reminded of his own manners from the same sight. "Normally he's always off on his own in some spot, out of sight and out of mind. Guess he feeling the need for familiar company after today. I don't blame him for it either."

Ruby was tempted to pick up a piece of fruit and toss it over to him, seeing if he would reactively open his mouth if she yelled 'catch' to include him in on the fun and pull him out of his isolated world. But decided otherwise and simply chose to let the young batpony become social on his own accord. She felt that eventually he would come out of his shell, it would just be a matter of time before he did.

"Look everyone!" Lunar Pearl suddenly exclaimed with an outstretched hoof, the other still rubbing the sore spot on her head. When they all turned their heads to see what had caught her attention, a collective breath was exhaled in awe at the sight of a distant city that blazed with light.

The train was currently parallel to the city that they assumed was Fillydelphia, its far away splendor slowing inching its way to the front of the train as the tracks slowly turned them toward it, an indicator that it was indeed their destination.

"Wow…" the mare at their table breathed. "I've always heard the cities were big and dazzling, but this… it looks beautiful."

"Do the ponies the ponies really stay up through the night there like us?" the stallion asked.

The cart was filled with gentle murmurs as the bat ponies looked on in awe at the rising splendor that none of them could take their eyes off of. The towering structures looked to rise above even the clouds from their massive height, and the amount of lights that sparkled the city made it look like it had its own sun powering it, a bustling hub of activity even at night, defying the idea they were the only ones to be awake for it.

Ruby looked on with awe as well, scanning the broken skyline that the buildings made. She was curious, and even looking forward to see it closer, but found that she lacked the excitement that was clear in everypony else.

Looking around, she saw how their eyes took in every detail, the distant city lights creating tiny stars in their eyes. They were captivated, and Ruby could not fully understand why. She turned to Mist Hoof to see if he had perhaps was unaffected as her, but held her tongue when she saw how he looked out to the city.

His jaw was tight as he sat rigid, and his eyes were crinkled with an edge of wetness to them. He stared so intently at the city that began to shift to the front of the train as they turned, that he did not notice Ruby watching him with a saddened demeanor. Even though he was among the older bat ponies, Ruby could not help but think of a young foal finally seeing a dream, a simple dream of being able to see the city, and all of it's dazzling splendor. And Mist Hoof she realized, had been waiting for that dream for a long time.

Turning her head so as to not embarrass him should he notice her staring, she refocused herself back onto the city, searching for same excitement and awe it had brought the rest of them. When it's light's had no effect, she concentrated on the details of the buildings that could be made out, thinking it's architectural design might have some appeal.

 _Hmm, those skyscrapers are awfully tall. I wonder how many floors they have?_ Ruby thought to herself. It took a few moments for her mind to catch what she had thought, and furrowed her brows in contemplation afterward.

 _How did I know they're called skyscrapers?_

* * *

When the train pulled into a brightly lit and large overhanging station, they ducked beneath the windows at the realization that other ponies may be in the area and would be able to spot them within the darkened train. However, their fears proved to be fruitless as they carefully peaked over the edges to find the entire station empty.

After gathering everypony, they made for the exit where the butler exited onto the platform who politely urged them to hurry along as they tentatively poked their heads out and glanced about barren place. He explained to them that it was a private train yard and no employees were currently nearby, but that such a rare moment would not last for long if they waited aboard the train any longer.

With hurried movements, they walked through the back passageways of the train station, twenty-eight bat ponies warily following Princess Ruby who in turn, followed the butler. Their eyes shifted about at every noise and corridor they came across as if they were expecting a contingent of guards to catch them by surprise, somehow already aware of their location and simply waiting in ambush.

They were lead out of the structure and directly to a large and strange carriage near the bay doors to what Ruby figured was the loading docks where cargo was transitioned to and from the train station. The carriage looked to be made out of metal and wood, with solid metallic beams holding it together while boards covered most of its surface area. The back end of it was wide open, revealing a hollow interior that ended abruptly after a short distance. From the side, it appeared its space was walled off from the covered sitting section in the front that she assumed a pony would sit at. However, it looked like nothing she could describe as it sat atop something that was completely covered in metal, and there were no reins in front of it for ponies to pull the large thing.

"What is that?" Ruby asked as she eyed it over.

"It is called an automobile, cargo truck specifically," the butler replied dully. "It is the result of the master's effort in increasing work productivity in his transportation business."

"And exactly how is anypony going to pull that with us in the back? You know, the end with the wide open hole where anypony could see us?" Ruby asked skeptically.

"The door closes and it is powered by charged gemstones, a new method of combining magic and technology together to create something that is called an 'engine'. Now if you will please aboard the back, we are still behind schedule."

Ruby gave a glare at the elder pony, wondering how in Equestria he was still focused on something such as being timely of all things. She wondered if his blood would be as sour as his mood before dismissing the violent thought and turning back to her ponies. "Alright, let's get everyone on quickly."

After Ruby leapt onto the floor of the contraption, the last one to board, the butler's horn glowed white and the door slide from above them and downward, slamming hard onto the bed of the cargo truck and sending them into total darkness.

Ruby heard the worried whispers of the group as they moved closer to each other in the already tight space, causing her to give reassuring words despite her own second thoughts on the matter. She flared her horn to give some them light so that they could see each other, and felt her chest tighten as she saw twenty-eight faces look to her for guidance, their literal shining beacon in this uncertain time in their lives.

They gasped when they felt the vehicle rumble to life and the sound of something churning in front of them. And sure enough, their bodies shifted about as it began to move and steadily pick up in speed.

Being inside the cramped space made it hard to indicate how long the trip lasted, their bodies swaying to and fro slightly from the turns of the vehicle. But eventually it had come to a stop for the last time, and the doors were suddenly thrown open as the butler stood before them again. They were at another loading dock, albeit much smaller than the one at the train yard. Except this time however, they were in the heart of the city, and at the base of possibly one of the tallest towers within it. Their heads craned upwards as they tried to spot the top of the structure, wondering how long it would take them to fly to the top. It was far beyond the height limits the guards of Dusk Town had in effect.

With the same process as before, they were hurriedly ushered inside and made their way through the empty halls of the building, never spotting another soul. But they knew some ponies were about as they heard the muffled shouts of conversations, or the sound of distant hoof steps echoing through thin walls. They quickly made their way to a large door and paused in front of it, and then the unicorn butler wrapped his magic around a strange dial beside it. After a single spin, the rumbling of machines similar to that of the cargo truck began to churn behind the walls.

Staring warily at the door, the bat ponies flinched as the doors opened by themselves without the aid of hoof or magic, and revealed a small space that apparently lead to nowhere.

"What is this supposed to be?" Ruby asked, trying to sound like she wasn't overly concerned as she currently was. While she had strangely recognized some things on their secretive journey since leaving the station—the train being one of them she realized in retrospect—she had only a hint of what this windowless room was supposed to be.

"It's called an elevator," the butler replied.

"I know that!" Ruby retorted. "But where are the unicorns that are needed to lift it up?"

"Like the automobile, this is powered by the combination of technology and magic. It only needs to be told which floor you wish to arrive at and it will take you there. Now if you will be so kind, please enter in groups of ten. It can only safely hold so much weight."

It had taken over twenty minutes in total to chauffeur all of them in turns to their destined floor, Ruby having decided to go with the first group incase wherever they were being taken to did not suit her liking. But as waited for the remaining bat ponies to be brought up, she found herself speechless in what was her opinion a very fancy and high-class waiting room with double doors across from the elevator.

Textured walls were lined with an assortment of paintings and artwork elegantly displayed along with potted plants, and the detailed marble floor with intricate details gleamed beneath their hooves. It was polished enough for them to see their faces in. The bat ponies had never seen a room like it in their whole life, and stared about their environment in awe. Their amazement was compounded even more when the butler appeared with the final group and led them through the double doors, and out into a large space that took their breaths away.

"Welcome to the penthouse atop of Skyline Tower. Please, make yourself at home within the various rooms," the butler announced as he gestured them inside.

It was like walking through the front door of a mansion as they walked into an open area that held two large double staircases beneath a balcony, indicating a second floor above them. From the crystal chandler, to the sculpted statues, everything screamed that somepony important lived here. Even the view through vertical arched windows that looked out onto the adjacent buildings and brightly lit city below made them look about with hanging mouths.

"This must be what a princess would live in," one of them commented as he turned in circles, trying to take in all the details at once.

"Actually, more like a prince," a voice answered above them.

Turning their heads, they looked upwards to see a unicorn stallion standing atop of the balcony, a smug smile etched onto his face in what was obvious amusement and content at their reactions to his abode. His pose was that of royalty and lordship as he held himself upright and in confidence. Not a strand of hair was out of place on his white coat, his well brushed golden mane hung about his neck in a neat fashion, and the cutie mark of a compass rose adorned his flanks.

The butler moved to the base of one of the stairs and gave a small cough. "Princess Ruby, and honored guests, please welcome your benefactor and owner of Skyline Transportation. My master, Prince Blueblood."

Blueblood finally looked down onto them, appearing as if he had not truly looked at them until he had been announced. His eyes passed over the ragtag group of ponies with silent mirth, before his grinned faltered at the sight of the alicorn staring cautiously up to him.

He nearly called out to her in surprise as to what she was doing here, but the warning Night Walker had given to him before came back to him as he recognized the fact she held crimson eyes. To took a good amount of effort to suppress his grimace.

 _So that's what he meant by a 'familiar' princess. I knew she had gone missing, but he never told me it was her who had become a vampony. To think, she would receive such a gift before me._

Without hesitation, Blueblood coughed to clear his throat, and swept a hoof over the railing. "Please, make yourselves at home. All my services are free for your own use within this floor. We have rooms, food, and entertainment for your pleasure. So please, bat ponies, make use of your new sanctuary. And a special welcome to you as well, _Princess Ruby_."


	27. Chapter 27

_"A merchant has come to our home, along with a dozen ponies that towed his wagons. He claimed he had wares and weapons for us that we would be interested in, and wished to demonstrate them for us. So we made room in the grounds clearing before the woods, and allowed him to set up his performance. It was amusing how his staff never knew quite where to keep their eyes, always darting between us and the woods, almost as if they thought they had a chance to flee should we chose them as dinner that night._

 _The merchant however, despite his inner fear that was quite prevalent, held a strong front and charismatic face. Most ponies that do not react respectively do not live long, but he was well aware of his lines and when to not cross. Night Walker actually had taken an interest in him, and I cannot say if it is for good or for ill on the merchants part yet._

 _Though his demonstration was only an hour long, he piqued our interest at what he was offering. Top of the line bows for the unicorns that were stocked with a newly fashioned type of arrows that held freezing properties, hoof-attached blades high in quality, and even cloud containers that would hold low charged thunderclouds. However innovated or crafty he was in theft on acquiring such items, we bought some of his products._

 _Regardless their applications and advances in technology however, I felt some unease at dealing with the merchant, and even more so at his offer to return when he creates the next latest product. Night Walker was more than happy to offer him a return visit, but I wonder if he saw the merchant as I did. His cunning eyes that calculated each move, product, and pony, or the hunger within in soul that was more prominent than most I have seen._

 _This pony is dangerous, even if he is beneficial. I have no doubt he would switch clients without a heartbeat should a better opportunity arrives._

 _But as always, Night Walker addressed my concerns and put me at ease. He mentioned that should he ever catch the merchant wishing to do such business with somepony else, it would be the last time he would ever make a sale. I don't consider myself as eager to spill blood as some vamponies, but I would not think twice if such a pony departed our world._

 _-Ruby Sparkle"_

 _Two days later..._

"Princess Ruby, Prince Blueblood has requested a moment of your time for introductions."

Ruby's crimson eyes shifted up from her current page and to the butler standing in the doorway to her room. She did not reply at first, feeling that perhaps she had misheard him and was giving him a chance to correct himself. But his silent and waiting posture confirmed that the master of the house did indeed wish to meet with her, and she lifted her nose from her book with a deadpan look.

"Really now?"

"That is correct, Princess," he simply replied. "If you would be so kind as to save your place, I will escort you to him"

As if the purposefully delayed introductions to Blueblood weren't irritating enough, the butler's habit of always speaking in such a dull tone only added to Ruby's displeasing mood. Since she had first met him, he had not once displayed an ounce of personality or emotion. He always remained predictable, stoic, and utterly lackluster in all his responses and mannerisms. And it had begun to bother Ruby a great deal, though she did not entirely know why.

It might have been perhaps the fact that she and her bat ponies were refugees in hiding, despised creatures that were being hunted by the Royal Guard whose recent actions proved they were willing to kill if they were not able to capture them. If anything, her experiences with anypony besides those of her own kind had proven fruitless and unfortunate, which meant that she would need to be on guard against everyone else. She needed to ascertain any threat that would present itself, and deal with it appropriately and swiftly. She could not fail to hesitate even for a moment, for if she had, Lunar Pearl and Ebon Wing might have suffered damage had she not acted quickly.

Ruby at times would find herself thinking of two attackers, the green pony who was lost, and the Royal Guard that attacked them. Both of them had worn hateful glares towards her ponies, and both had tried to injure them. And when she thought of her angry faces, her mind would always drift to how quickly those glares turned to expressions of surprise and horror. It seemed the only way to make it so no pony would look upon her kin with such faces, was for her to deal with them forcefully, as they had attempted to do so.

She did not know why everypony she had encountered thus far showed such animosity towards her subjects, viewing them as if they were indeed the monsters they shouted them out to be. But she could no longer stand those types of looks made to her and her ponies. She could not, and would not ever again allow others to view them as such. It was her royal duty to ensure the protection of her subjects, and she would do it by any means necessary, a violent and swift end proving to be the most useful method of correction so far. But for her to judge effectively so that she did not kill without reason, she needed to know how the various ponies around them would react to her kind. She need to know what they were thinking, and if they would prove to be a threat.

But she could not get a reading from the butler, and that put her in a unending state of unease and suspicion.

She had wondered at times if he had learned how to behave so stoically from a school dedicated for butlers, or if he had just been born as the most boring pony in Equestria.

 _Silver Platter, you are by far the most cliché butler I have ever seen,_ she thought to herself with distaste, an opinion that had only been reinforced from reading the variety of literature that lined the many bookcases of the penthouse. Some of her worries about him had somewhat lessened when she had finally learned his name. However, it was something that in retrospect was obvious to the point of irritation, an experience that only added to her already sour mood.

Being around the bat ponies had caused her to forget all about cutie marks, being that they were unable to receive one due to the Sister's tampering over the years. So when she had learned the butler's name was Silver Platter, showcased by his cutie mark of a fancifully decorated tray, her frustration towards him only grew. Ever since she had first met him on the train station, where he had commented on the deaths of her ponies like an idle conversation about the weather, she found herself having difficulty just tolerating his presence.

She had more than once considered draining dry so that he no longer bothered her, but the voice that had appeared in her mind since they had fled the cave adamantly opposed the notion; it was proving to be another annoyance to stack on her already frustrated mood.

But with all things considered, Ruby could only imagine the type of pony who would hire such a dry servant. At least she would now be able to finally answer that question.

Placing a bookmark on her page of her book, she rose to stretch her legs and wings, then promptly hopped off the bed and trotted through the door. "I'm ready," she announced as she passed him, knowing full well he would wait for her to leave the room before guiding her to Blueblood.

With a single nod of affirmation, Silver Platter took the lead and began to escort Ruby down the decorated corridor.

"I take it then that Prince Blueblood has _finally_ found sometime between his busy scheduling to meet me?" Ruby asked with suppressed irritation as she fell behind him, her curiosity overcoming her desire to speak as little as possible to him.

"He managed to fit you in between his five pm appointment and his seven-thirty. It appears that an individual with prospect had failed to impress him, and was dismissed early."

Hearing the she was merely something to occupy a recently opened time slot made her lips curl. "How _polite_ of him."

Ruby's legs began to take swift and rigid steps as she held herself in check, resisting the urge to either race to Blueblood's office or lash at the nearest decor.

 _One would think meeting a vampony princess who was capable of drinking a pony dry would be a priority,_ she thought in grimace. _Honestly, we've been here for nearly a week and he is just now_ finding _time to talk about the situation?_

The two of them made their way through the penthouse, or as most of the bat ponies called it, the mansion. Blueblood's office was at the top of the three story building, above large rooms and luxurious bedrooms that had no expense spared. However, despite there being enough space to give each batpony a bed, all twenty-eight of them choose to stay together as much as possible, leaving only just above a dozen bedrooms occupied, and they managed to do it so that they were all in one hallway.

As Silver Platter and Ruby turned to the corridor the bat ponies slept on, Ruby's mood immediately brightened, and her ears perked up as she greeted passing ponies and peeked into rooms as she passed by.

"Princess Ruby! How are you today?" one of them asked, immediately eliciting a few head pokes from the rooms.

"Just fine," Ruby replied with a grin. "How are you all doing? Is everypony comfortable?"

"More than ever!" a colt exclaimed. "The floors here are softer than my old bed!"

When Ruby opened her mouth in concern, his mother quickly put a hoof around his shoulder and gave a small smirk. "Don't worry, Princess. The beds weren't _that_ bad. He's just a little excited."

"Oh, I see," Ruby laughed nervously. "While it makes me happy to see all of you so close to each other, are you sure you still don't want a bed for each of you?"

"Thank you for worrying, Princess," the mother replied, "but we're really alright. The extra blankets and pillows Silver Platter gave us have been more than enough." Turning her head to Silver Platter who had been waiting patiently and quietly, she gave him a soft smile. "Thank you for your help."

"Of course, madam," he duly replied.

As she gave a nod to both of them and began leading her colt back into their room, her ears pricked and she turned her head back. "Oh, I almost forgot. Silver Platter, we've put all the linen in the fourth door down the way you just came. That was the right room wasn't it?"

"Yes, madam. It will be clean in a day. If you require any additional linen, please let me know."

"Will do," she replied happily, and retired to her room.

Ruby and Silver Platter continued down the rest of the hallway, stopping every few doors to talk to various ponies who were checking one thing or another with Silver Platter, and reassuring Ruby that everything was going good. As they did, Ruby's eyes kept drifting to Silver Platter at every request that had been given to him, wondering just how much he had been doing while he had been doing her best to ignore him.

When they left the hall and continued their way upwards, Ruby eyed him closely for some minutes, before giving a gentle cough..

"Um...Silver Platter?"

"Yes, Princess Ruby?" he said without looking back.

"Why is it I haven't seen another pony besides yourself and Prince Blueblood?"

"Is discretion of your stay not in your interests?"

"No it is," Ruby quickly replied. "It's just… I kind of expected to see more ponies considering how many of us there are. I mean, you can't possibly be taking care of this entire penthouse yourself."

"As a matter of fact, I do."

"Really?" Ruby asked in disbelief. "That's… wow, you must be busy."

Silver Platter did not respond, and continued to dutifully lead her through the penthouse, leaving her to her own thoughts a slight perspective change of him, and the meeting ahead.

Regardless of how helpful Silver Platter had been so far to her bat ponies however, the fact that Silver Platter remained stoic throughout any situation still bothered her. She had already soul sighted him in an attempt to put to rest some of her suspicions, but her prying yielded little answers. It seemed his emotionless attitude was mirrored equally in his soul, having but a simple and bare sphere with little connections. Many parts of him had been formed in a rigid fashion and were confined in an orderly design cluing her to some traits, but she couldn't reveal more with her current level of understanding of the soul. She still had a long way to reach Night Walker's knowledge of souls, and even further if she would ever hope to manipulate it as well as he did.

In the end, she had no choice but to remain passive and alert around Silver Platter, having no evidence he would do anything that might threaten her or her ponies, but not wanting to leave anything to chance.

Which brought her back to Blueblood, and the many questions she had for him.

He had graciously accepted her and her ponies into his home, provided fresh fruit for them daily, and allowed them to roam freely within the penthouse. But all of that would mean nothing if Ruby felt some possible threat or danger from the prince.

Regardless of the fact Night Walker had trusted him, Ruby would never be at ease with a pony that could potentially threatened the well being of her ponies. The Royal Guards that were supposedly supposed to keep an eye and protect the bat ponies had been responsible for those who were unable to take part of their new comforts.

"Here we are," Silver Platter announced, snapping Ruby from her thoughts.

Before her was decorated set of double doors that held simple yet curving designs. She had first thought the wood to be painted, but quickly realized their golden color was actually natural. "What kind of wood is this?" she asked without thinking, her curiosity overcoming her apprehension in a heartbeat.

"Golden Oak, directly imported from Unicorn Range."

 _Wow, that must have costed him a fortune. That wood has such quality that it's one of the most preferred materials for enchanting. And given that they grow the slowest amongst the all the flora in Equestria, they are rarely available for sale,_ she automatically recited in her head with wonder.

Taking a moment to admire the swirling designs of metal etched onto his surface, Ruby wondered if she had ever owned something fashioned from the mythical wood before she was imprisoned.

"Shall I introduce you?" Silver Platter asked, having waited respectively for Ruby to take in the various details.

Closing her eyes so that she could regain her focus on the meeting, she exhaled and straightened herself. "Please do."

With a nod, Silver Platter's horn wrapped the handles with a white light, and pushed inwardly. The doors to the artisans skills, opened without making a single sound. Ruby half mindedly strained her ears to hear a peep from them, but found the craftsmanship too high in quality to give away any noise. Her impressed opinion on such skilled designs however, was barely given any thought as her eyes locked onto the pony across the room.

Sitting behind a polished desk, horn aglow as he penned over various parchments, Prince Blueblood worked.

At first, the sight of him quickly flared Ruby's negative predisposition of the unicorn, but was pushed aside as she took in the details of his form, easily visible from the darkening sky behind him. The room was built with the wall behind his desk that was made entirely out of glass, casting his silhouette before the horizon that the sun had set under only an hour ago. Outside, the windows looked to be an aerial balcony, creating a potential recreational viewing spot of the land around them, and a landing point for guests with the ability to fly.

Around Blueblood desk were stacks of papers and books, neatly organized into piles of ones he had finished, and ones that awaited his attention. The quill he held in his magic twirled about various pages with a tenacity that caught by surprise, its rhythmic motion of scratching paper being the only source of sound in the room. And while he levitated it with precise skill and speed, his attention seemed to be focused on a stack of papers he held in his hoof. His eyes hardly left the held papers, and he only partially glanced now and then for the next piece of parchment that needed his signature or required some sort of editing.

It was in that first moment of meeting the prince where he worked, seeing his unhesitating movements towards the various items that demanded his attention, that Ruby's had nearly questioned if he was indeed the same pony from before.

This was not the egotistical stallion that seemed to find his own reflection in a nearby mirror more pleasing than anything else. Nor was it the never content brat that had practically ignored Ruby during chance meetings in his home, choosing instead to speak with Silver Platter about some petty task before leaving. She had even managed a quick glance into his soul when she did spot him roaming the house, finding the initial surface of him to be shallow and frivolous.

But none of those traits were apparent in him now as he diligently worked before her. Now, his entire persona and atmosphere were drastically different than her previous moments with him. Ruby was quickly reminded that despite her initial opinions of the stallion, he was still of royal blood and the owner of an expansive company.

With this new impression firmly planted in her mind, there was little doubt from Ruby that regardless of his self-centered behaviors or odd mannerisms, he had worked to get where it was at. And he was more than aptly qualified for such positions of rule.

Silver Platter stepped past Ruby gave a polite cough to indicate their arrival. "Prince Blueblood… I present Princess Ruby."

The quill that scratched across the paper paused in mid writing, bringing about a sudden silence to the room. Blueblood's eyes lifted from his held pages, and looked towards them with a calculating intensity that Ruby had not seen, nor believed him to be capable off. Her foul mood and list of questions faded quickly from her mind at the imposing presence he currently gave, finding that her initial assumptions of his shallowness were possibly entirely unfounded to begin with.

After giving the two of them a quick observation, Blueblood immediately began to stack the papers he was working on and set them aside in small piles. He did not even take the time to finish the sentence he had been currently writing during his cleanup, yet Ruby had an odd feeling that after she had spoken with him, he would be easily able to continue his flow of work and thought as if she had never interrupted him in the first place.

His potential of being threat had risen dramatically within the few seconds she had met him, and she could only wonder what he was truly capable of.

"Thank you, Silver Platter," Blueblood said after he had finished putting his work away. Silver Platter gave a respectful bow and proceeded out of the room, closing the silent doors behind Ruby. They didn't even generate a click when they had fully shut. "Princess Ruby, it is a pleasure to finally have your acquaintance," he said calmly.

"Likewise," Ruby replied nonchalantly, having already moved past her initial surprise of the stallion and now entirely focused the details that would be discussed tonight.

"Please, let us have a seat," he said motioning to his right.

Ruby followed the gesture to a pair of cushioned chairs seated in front of a unlit fire place, a small table beside each with what looked like sealed bottles next to upside-down wine glasses.

 _So he is as cliché as his butler,_ she thought with slight amusement.

As she moved towards the chairs, Blueblood sat up from his and gave a small stretch. After a quick glance to ensure all his papers were positioned as he wanted them to be, he moved to join her. "Do you mind if I get a fire going?" he asked.

"Not at all," Ruby replied. She tried to show disinterest in the action, but secretly held a level of interest of the unicorn's magical prowess. While creating fire with magic wasn't particular an uncommon level of ability, it would at least show that he was more competent than the average unicorn. And it would show some of his potential in a fight.

Ruby discreetly watched from the corner of her eyes when his horn became a glow with a golden color. However, much to her dissatisfaction, he instead magically grasped a hold of a dial built into the trim of the fireplace and slowly turned it, bringing the fireplace to life with a steady flame.

Ruby's ears twitched in irritation not being able to see some example of his skill in magic, but it was quickly replaced as she considered what she had just seen. He had not used his own magic to ignite the fireplace, nor had used a match to spark some kindle. In fact, there was no wood within the fireplace at all, leading her to only guess at its origin.

"Interested on how it works?" Blueblood asked with a sly smile.

Ruby's eyes quickly snapped from the fireplace and refixed an expressionless glance towards him, mentally berating herself for acting like a foal who had just seen a magic trick. Yet despite her recovery, she knew she had been caught with her curiosity, and had given up her aloof appearance she had attempted to display. Forcing herself to not flare her nostrils in annoyance at losing the upper hoof so early in the discussions, she yielded to her natural curiosity and the expectant look from Blueblood. "Please, explain how it works."

His sly smile only grew as he placed a hoof onto the fireplace. "I assumed you already know a little of my patented charged gemstones?" A simple nod from Ruby was his answer, easily recalling the butlers short explanation of the item and how it was a core feature of the driverless carriages that brought them here. "Well, with a few modifications, it is also able to produce a flame without the need of timber or coals."

He paused to gauge Ruby's reaction to his short explanation, hoping that she might question it further or display some level of being impressed. However she only stared at him with a neutral expression before eventually speaking, "So it lights a fireplace. Is that it?"

"Really, you can't see the applications of this new combination of technology and magic?" he replied with a bemused tone, acting like he knew the punch line to a joke that he had yet to tell. When a raised eyebrow from the vampony princess was all he received, he removed his hoof from the fireplace.

"Imagine this in the home of everypony. In every fireplace or kitchen stove. It does not require magic to operate, so pegasi and earth ponies can use it just the same. In fact, we are already developing prototypes that can remain in place without the need of precious cloud stone. Imagine everypony having access to a fuelless fire for heat."

Ruby's neutral expression slowly turned into one of genuine interest as her mind began to run through the implications of his statement. "A fire that doesn't require wood or coals…"

"I'm sure you can imagine the benefits of not having to pay for burnable material, or the amount of wood that could be spent on other purposes," Blueblood hinted as he watched Ruby begin to comprehend its full potential.

"But it can't be fuelless," Ruby said aloud as she rubbed a hoof over her chin. "Everything needs a source… so I assume it's from the magic stored in the gems?"

"Right you are," Blueblood replied, pleasantly surprised at her quick attack onto the mechanics of the device. _From little I know of her previous life, she no doubt is more than capable of understanding how it works._ Turning his attention back to the flame that seemingly came from nowhere, he resumed his explanation.

"As I'm sure you are aware, it does require some upkeep to continue producing a flame on demand. As of now, it is still not economically feasible to mass produce. We still need to increase the lifespan of the spell as well as make its recharging as simple and easy as possible. There are a few possibilities we can choose from, but the kinks are still being worked out. Much better than the pony I had kicked out only minutes earlier. He had suggested supplying flammable gas to each household in Equestria. Imagine the absurdity of that," he said while laughing. "Setting up the infrastructure to deliver the gas alone would be an engineer's nightmare straight from Tartarus!"

"While also remaining highly dangerous," Ruby added.

"Most certainly," Blueblood agreed. "Killing ponies is not something I want to make apart of in my business. I could not imagine the lawsuits it would garner." Blueblood chuckled at the half proposed notion before shifting his focus back onto Ruby. "You know, perhaps if we become more familiar with each other as our… _current_ arrangements hold, you may even be able to assist on some of my companies designs. Night Walker had mentioned that you were a very capable problem solver," Blueblood commented. As Ruby thought to herself, he finally took his position on the chair across from her, and awaited her reply.

"To be honest," Ruby began, "From what I have learned from you, I never expected you to be this type of pony."

Blueblood was about to reply in defense, feeling that she was referring of his actions during the Gala sometime ago. But he quickly caught himself at the folly of mentioning the event.

"What did you expect?"

"That you were a selfish, egotistical, and spoiled brat that had everything handed to him due to his family ties," Ruby said without hesitation.

Blueblood merely chuckled at her assumption, a response she did not expect. He raised hoof into the air while at the same time leaning his head onto his other that he propped up. "I won't deny the first two, but I will have you know that besides my summer home in Los Pegasus, everything I own I had worked for. Anything that I hadn't I've have passed on or sold."

"And what is your line of work?" Ruby asked, hoping he may reveal something of interest that she did not already know.

Smirking at the question and at the chance to show off his exploits, he happily answered. "Transportation, innovation, and advancement for ponykind."

"That's specific," Ruby quipped as she settled herself back into her chair.

"Well, my talents are broad, and I could never chain myself down to one prospect," he simply replied. "I am responsible for over two-thirds of the latest advances in technology and magic in Equestria for the last eight years."

"Surely you alone did not design all of your products," Ruby said slyly as she began to fall into pace with the banter.

"Despite how capable some believe me to be, I am actually quite the intelligent pony. However, I cannot take full credit for all of my accomplishments. How very perceptive of you, my dear."

"Don't call me that," Ruby interrupted, her smile not faltering in the slightest as she partially revealed her fangs.

"Noted," Blueblood replied, his pleasant voice and mood remaining strong as well. "But no, I did not invent all of my items. Instead, I owe that to the ponies that work for me, courtesy of my special talent."

"And that is?"

"As you can see, my cutie mark is a compass rose. It had appeared when I took ownership of my first company, a reputable train line." Blueblood shifted about his chair as his horn grabbed a bottle of wine next to his personal table, uncorking it with ease and pouring himself a glass. "It signified my love for travel. I knew the moment it came that, regardless of what other endeavors I would pursue, transportation and travel would always remain my most beloved interest."

After he finished pouring his glass, he brought it in front of himself and began to idly swish it about. "But that is not my only talent."

"Two talents?" Ruby said in amusedly. "Surely you are not so self-centered to believe that you have two special talents."

"Indeed I am," he replied without pause. Ruby's took on a skeptical appearance as he sipped from his glass, of which he placed back onto the table. "You see, I don't just have a knack for those particular industries, but I happen to have a sixth sense when it comes to ponies. Not only do I know how to steer products across the land…" he said with noticeable pride. "But I also am able to steer ponies onto their own successful paths."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"It means I have an uncanny ability to know a pony's destination in life based on their potential," he explained with a smile that made Ruby want to smack off him. "I would not have gotten to where I am today if it were not for the skilled and talented ponies I have found throughout my life. With proper guiding, I have been able to steer them onto very successful career paths. And the ones with the most potential, I hire on the spot to work for me and my company. So far, not a single one has let me down. And they themselves have made advances in their respective talents that would not have been possible alone or unsupported."

Lifting his glass again, he finished, "While I may be the most self-centered pony in all of Equestria, and very much justified in believing as such, I do not fail to miss the benefits others can bring."

"Benefits that mainly aid you it seems," Ruby said. "Why do I get the distinct impression that you view them only as investments and tools?"

"I do," Blueblood answered immediately. "They are perhaps the most valuable investments I can make. That is why I ordered every pony within one of my factories to evacuate and leave behind all our work when a fire had started. I much prefer the loss of a device that can be recreated over that of a valuable employee."

"Even if you had jumped in the fire yourself, that is still a low way of looking at others," Ruby replied, her smile vanishing from the stallions cold look on life.

Blueblood chuckled to himself as he prepared to take another sip. "Is it any different than you viewing them as food?"

Ruby's eyes became narrowed as her hoofs gripped the arms of the chair. She was spending a lot of effort to leap onto him from her seat right there and then. Her teeth grated each other as he held her jaw tight.

 _~Don't do it!~_

 _Quiet!_

 _~No!~_ the voice shouted back. _~You've been becoming more and more violent in your ways of thinking! It won't solve anything if you kill him!~_

Ruby wanted to fight at the inner voice, still very much upset that it even existed to begin with and that she could not do anything to silence it. But even with her foul disposition, it had spoken a measure of truth.

Blinking her eyes from sudden clarity, she instinctively brought a hoof to her chest to calm herself down, ignoring whatever looks she may have been receiving from Blueblood.

She had gotten angry. Far too angry. Her nerves were already high strung from the not too long ago escape for their lives, and had little time to fade from the pressure of being in the middle of a city of ponies who could very well attempt to kill them. That along with having to trust her ponies safety to Blueblood on top of it, she was more or less not in the best stable state of mind.

After a minute of breathing exercises, she looked back up to him as a sign that she was ready to continue. She was about to apologize, but the prince beat her to it.

"My apologies. Given who you are, I did not think it to be a sensitive topic."

"No, the fault is mine," Ruby said while shaking her head. "Please forgive _me_. With all that has happened over the last few days, everything has just been a little… stressful."

"Is there anything I can do to help put those worries at ease?"

"There is one thing that might help," Ruby said as she readjusted herself in her seat. She closed her eyes and drew her focus inward; summoning the magic she had started to become more familiar with. With a finally soothing exhale, she opened her eyes and stared intently at Blueblood with a brilliant white light escaping her pools.

"Promise me that you will not endanger my ponies, or betray us to the thrones."

While Ruby's request had been simple and clear, the edge to her voice that almost seemed to echo with an unnatural force sent an even clearer message of what the consequences might be for breaking such a promise.

Blueblood held a stoic expression as he listened to her request, choosing to make his response at careful as possible lest he angered her further. His skin beneath his coat took on an odd feeling of being cold but clammy at the same time. He had developed a talent for sensing things outside of reason and logic, a crucial ability in picking out the potential of others despite their appearances and current standings. But no matter what logical conclusion he came to, no matter how much his mind may have denied it, his body was reacting to his honed natural instincts without his control. Though he may have never voiced it to another soul so long as he lived, he would never forget the sensation that swept over his body from her gaze and voice.

He would never forget the fear she had induced straight into his core.

With more effort than he ever believed such an action require, he answered her question without his voice wavering or cracking. "I promise."

Ruby remained motionless as she stared at him for some moments longer, searching what she needed to see in his soul before being satisfied with his answer. Closing her eyes once more, she extinguished her soul sight, and let out a breath at her expended effort. Blueblood had done the same thing after he felt her piercing gaze leave him.

 _He didn't lie,_ Ruby thought to herself. _And it appears I scared him more than he is willing to accept._ Holding back a smile at the events she had witnessed within his soul, she finally let go some of her worries she had held in her mind since their arrival. She could trust that her ponies would be safe within Blueblood's home. For now.

This experience with Blueblood however, proved to be a useful one. She had learned a few things from him during her prying, and coupled with his attitude while they had spoken, gave her a base picture of what she could expect from the stallion. He was truthful on his outlook on himself and others, viewing them simply as valuable items that could benefit him and his interests. He was confident, intelligent, and could take control of any situation that presented himself. He was indeed a capable pony that deserved a level of respect. And Ruby could sense his attitude from before was quickly manifesting itself again, something that would allow him to take back some of the control he had lost. He was a pony that could face adversity in strides, and not be afraid to use other ponies to get into very powerful positions. In short, he was dangerous, and could never cease to be a threat regardless of whatever peace may be currently in effect.

But she had established her dominance over him. And for a vampony, it was one of the most important things one could do.

"Do you happen to be thirsty?" Blueblood suddenly inquired.

Ruby looked at him with a confused expression, curious as to why he would ask it but impressed that he had managed to regain so much control of himself so quickly. What effects that had been left over from her intimidation were only faint traces now.

Blueblood glanced towards the bottle and glass that stood on her side table, shifting her focus to its contents.

With half a mind already knowing what it contained, Ruby wrapped it in her magic and brought it between her and the fire, watching it contents reflect the light in a unique way. Needing to confirm it, she uncorked the lid and wafted its smell beneath her nose, immediately causing her throat to tighten at its scent.

It was like an addiction whenever she smelled it. While her throat would begin to irritate her whenever such a scent wafted by her nose, she desired it in a level that could not be met by anything else. It was like a fix that even if you had just taken it, should it present itself to you again, your body would immediately begin to crave more as if you haven't had it in years. If she simply enjoyed the sweet smell the bottle emitted for some time, her throat would no doubt eventually begin to burn like a patch of desert, desperately crying out for the only thing that could sate it.

It was a cruel thing she thought in retrospect. The thing that caused you pain, was also the same thing that soothed it. It was a painful experience that took, then gave.

"Who died for this?" Ruby asked after taking the contents smell in.

"No one," Blueblood replied.

She looked towards him with a bewildered expression, watching his previous sly smile spread across his lips again at his obvious amusement in her reaction. "That… came from a blood donation from Southern Field Hospital at Brass Wagon Lane. When you are in influential positions, buying a few odd items can be easily done."

"So… no pony had to die for this?" Ruby asked as her eyes became wide, looking onto the bottle as if it was some brilliant invention that seemed impossible.

"With today's medicine, blood can be obtained easily without harm to the donor."

"Of course," Ruby breathed in excitement. "Why didn't I think of this before? This could solve many of our problems! We should have done this a thousand years ago!"

Blueblood felt it was in his better interest to not correct her that such things did not exist a thousand years ago. _Night Walker had said her memory had been fragmented into unknown sections. If I am not careful this charade he insists putting on may fall apart. But I hope he does not expect me to decide what she does and doesn't piece together. I fear that level of control is even beyond my reach._

Ruby's dark mood had completely vanished over the events of tonight. She had established a baseline of expectations from Blueblood, secured the fact that her ponies were not in danger, and had discovered an alternate method to sustain her diet. For her, the evening could not have gone better as she happily poured the deep red liquid into her glass, smiling at the way it settled and how the light reflected off of it.

Blueblood sat in silence as he observed her swirl about the liquid, savoring every part of it before daintily sipping it, her fangs causing a soft clink onto the glass as her lips wrapped around its edge. _Ruby… I am very much looking forward to see how you might develop in the future. How long will this play that you so confidently believe to be real last? What will your reaction be when everything you know comes apart at the seams? Hopefully, I will be able to watch it from afar._

Blueblood covered a certain smile that parted his lips ever so slightly with a hoof. _I'm getting that sensation again. You have potential for events that have yet to pass._ It was a smile whenever a pony was able to travel towards a direction in their life that would help him immensely. _I don't know what you will do, or how it will come to be, but you will prove to be very beneficial to me. Somehow, someway, I'm going to reach even greater heights because of you._

Ruby let out a satisfied 'ah' after gulping the last drop from her glass, having switched from small sipping to enthusiastic chugging. She could not help but try out the delicious liquid in every manner possible, and she was already pouring another glass while considering how long she could hold it in her mouth before swallowing.

 _Then it's decided,_ Blueblood thought to himself smugly. _I will help you on your path, wherever it may lead. For one day, it will be of use to me._ Blueblood magically grasped his glass and raised it in front of him. "A toast?"

"Hmm," Ruby happily hummed, feeling more content and at ease than ever over the last few days. "Yes, a toast."

"To the future," Blueblood announced. "And with it, good fortune on both parties."

"To the future," Ruby replied before sucking in a mouthful of liquid, not caring in the slightest how Blueblood might think of her. In her mind, she had already established she was in the superior position, and she could act however she wanted.

Blueblood held back his distaste for her actions, but it was easily suppressed at the possibilities springing forth in his mind. _I am so very curious to see what kind of pony you will become Princess Ruby. Or even possibly… Princess Twilight._

* * *

"Your late," Blueblood snapped at his guest atop the balcony.

The griffin tried to catch his breath as he set his parcel down, stretching his wings from the speedy flight. "It ain't our fault we met 'sum headwind," the griffin retorted in a gruff voice. "That, and your requested replacement learning 'ta ropes of things."

"As I said before, Feathermane," Blueblood said while he magically grabbed the wrapped package. "I desire griffons who are accustomed to ponies. If I ever want to establish a regular trading system between our empires, I need representatives that understand pony culture to help justify my requests."

"Aye, you needn't 'ta repeat that sphiel to me again," Feathermane replied. "Still, ah suppose the lass is having better luck than tha ponies back in 'ta kingdoms." With a laugh that was more of a bark, the griffin added, "I hear they are still having a hard time eating with a griffin at tha same table. You leaf chewers sure do a've a weak stomach."

"Hmm," Blueblood idly replied as he opened the parcel and inspected its contents. "Where's the rest of your group?"

"Oh, they be coming in shortly. Ruck decided to grab a bite to eat before landing. He hates doing business on an empty stomach. And Fen ah suppose is helping the lass catch up." Feathermane turned his eye to the night sky, awaiting the distant forms of his comrades to come into view. "She's a strong flyer no doubt, but I fear she doesn't have much of a gut when it comes 'ta something's. The seasonal winds don't take too kindly to her it seems."

"I am hoping after we have setup a profitable trade business, we can begin securing air streams rights for faster shipments. If we can show your rulers the positive effects of mass continental trading, they will help make the trip more bearable," Blueblood said at the mention of the winds.

Feathermane laughed again in his rough voice at the notion. "Good luck with that! If you don't ask nicely, you might find a blizzard chasing ya all tha way home."

"Well, I better not disrespect the Griffon of the Seasons then," Blueblood replied as he begun to move inside.

"Ah, there they are," Feathermane announced while looking up into the night sky. Blueblood stopped and craned his head upward in attempts to see the approaching griffins, but his eyes could never be as sharp as that of the older griffin.

"RUCK! FEN! HURRY UP AND GET YOUR TAIL FEATHERS DOWN HERE!" Feathermane shouted, causing his neck feathers to bristle from his polite motivation. His eyes then narrowed the form that was a short distance behind them. She was wobbling about from the heavy package she was carrying, and even from his distance he was able to tell she was having trouble holding onto while remain aloft.

"AND TELL GILDA TO NOT DROP THAT PACKAGE AGAIN OR ITS COMING OUT OF HER PAYCHECK!"


	28. Chapter 28

Ruby closed her eyes as the warm water flowed onto her forehead, letting herself become lost from the showers pressure and steam that filled the spacious bathroom. It felt wonderful to inhale the hot steam that had built up in the room, to feel the water trail down her mane, giving it an extra weight that tugged at her scalp, or how it gently tickled every inch of her body with its warm embrace. It was as if an invisible burden was slowly being tugged off of her, draining down the tube of the mosaic tile pieces of the shower. Many of her worries had been settled with Blueblood the previous evening, finally allowing her to have a day's rest of sleep. And after she had spent a minute just sitting in the stream of water once all her cleaning had been done, to just simply enjoy the sensation, she turned it off, feeling refreshed and weightless.

The first shower she had taken the night they arrived had washed the weight of all the dirt she had accumulated in the cave, and this one had washed away the weight of worry that had been nestled in her chest and mind. For now, she could relax on the concern of her bat ponies safety.

Which only meant that her mind could now allow her to focus on other priorities.

Snapping her eyes open and bearing a determined grin, she gently stepped onto the bathrooms main floor and magically grasped a nearby towel. A happy hum escaped her lips as the feeling of how soft and fluffy the towel was as she walked towards the misted mirror.

Wiping it away with another towel—the bathroom seem to have a never ending supply—she looked at herself thoughtfully while she dried her coat off. She did not know if it was because she had lost her memories, or if she had always done this, but she thought her reflection looked familiar yet strange all the same.

Since she had awoken, she had only known herself to be two things. The first was a vampony, a powerful creature that was strong, intimidating, and freely took the life of others to survive. The second was a princess, a royal authority that had the wellbeing of her subjects always at the forefront of her mind. To ensure they were taken care of, to protect them, and decided the course of their fates on her decisions.

Both of these aspects demanded respect, and by no means were they things that Ruby could take lightly. And if she wanted to add to the list, being an alicorn certainly demanded its own tributes. But when she removed those notions, and simply looked into the mirror, she saw a very different pony.

She was just a mare.

Ruby had unknowingly stopped drying herself some time ago as she stared into her reflection, becoming lost in the silent introspect search of who she was. Because when she removed those defining titles, stripped away everything that had defined her from a time she could not remember, she began to wonder a question that she had not consider before.

Who was Ruby Sparkle?

And after a minute of staring into the unflinching sanguine eyes of the mare in the mirror, she found she could not answer that question.

Sighing, she resumed her drying and drew herself away from the moment of self-questioning. _I can figure out more about myself as I go. There is a laundry list of things that still need to be answered and understood that are more important than that._ And as she looked upon herself once again with a focused mind, one of those things on her mental list came to mind.

 _Hey, you._

After a minute of silence, she attempted again.

 _Hey voice! I'm talking to you!_

When it became apparent that she couldn't summon the strange voice at will, Ruby let out a flustered 'tsk' and closed her eyes. She was beginning to become more proficient in activating soul sight, finding that on a good day with the right state of mind the process only took a few seconds to complete. But instead of opening her lids again, her eyes flickered beneath in random direction, moving idly as she inwardly focused the ability.

Shortly her soul became visible and clear, a glowing white sphere of elegant but complex structure that was highlighted in many places with a brilliant red. Ruby briefly thought that if such a design such as the soul could be reproduced in the physical world, perhaps as a building or statue, it would no doubt become one of the greatest works of art in the world. There was simply no comparison or aptly description that could match the sight of seeing a soul.

Moving past her fascination of its design lest she lose focus and find herself lost in some section, she turned her attention to the recently formed part of herself that remained strangely outside of her influence. She noted mentally that its structure had subtly changed since she last looked at it, and the beginning of new fibers for connections could be seen. However, they did not appear to stretching to their supposed destinations, instead choosing to remain in place as they built up in length and stability.

As she studied the anomaly in detail, she recalled the many discussions she had with Night Walker regarding the soul. The existence of the bridging fibers were to allow connections within the soul, acting as a highway between thoughts and emotions. The stability and thickness of them reflected how strong of connections the various segments of the soul had amongst each other. A pony that had very thick and numbers bridges from the emotional center that housed anger indicated how quick tempered they may be. And while another pony may have similar thick fibers, they could lead to completely different parts, showcasing that the reason for activation of such a hot emotion would be entirely different.

And like many things in life, the soul was not a stagnant or rigid thing. It can change as the pony themselves change. Some mental or emotional aspects could grow or diminish in size over the years. Kindness could dwindle as despair or hate become more prominent, buoyant energy could become more refined and still with maturity, and reserved peace could give way to a flurry of emotions.

She had even learned that a soul goes through rapid changes when a pony happens to have a mental breakdown. Apparently spontaneous bridges would be formed nearly instantaneously, firing off signals between sections that may have normally been so developed with weak and unstable connections. It was possibly one of the reasons why one may feel so jumbled and various levels of emotions that normally don't mesh together.

But regardless of how well one could inspect and understand the multitude aspects of the soul, their understanding of a pony would still remain on a crude and basic level. Which is why Ruby felt so lost and frustrated at the section before her now.  
Its connections still held the same places as before, giving her some clue as what triggers may activate it even though the sections still remained shrouded in mystery as to their functions. She still had a lot to learn to know the inner workings of the soul as well as Night Walker, but she had deduced so far that it was not prone to violent and fatal actions. And it's forming but repressed bridges held some concern for her. She did not know if and when they might stretch out to whatever destination inside of her, and having more sections she could not influence only made her worry deepen.

And yet… it also felt familiar at the same time.

The only thing it even seemed remotely similar to was the brief glance she had into Night Walker's soul. How he had different sections and even separate bridges nestled next to each other, almost as if he had different layers of souls lightly set over each other in different configurations. However, her glance into his soul had been so short and she had been so taken aback from its design that it gave her little information to work off of. It was obvious that this section inside of her was not even remotely close to the vampony lord's chaotic design. But as unlikely as it seemed, Ruby could not help but feel they were similar in a way.

Unable to discern its capabilities or purpose further, or be able to stir it into conversation, Ruby sighed and ended her soul sight.

She brought a hoof to rub her temples from the soreness that had built around her eyes. Prolonged use of the ability brought extra strain and could often manifest as full blown headaches. Though she had shouldered through the pain during Shade Flare's operation that had lasted hours, her mind and body were still recovering from the recent ordeals that had plagued her thoughts.

"Speaking off," Ruby said.

Quickly drying the rest of herself off, she exited the bathroom and her room, and began her search for Mist Hoof throughout the expansive apartment.

She figured he might be in the main living room, a wide space that in some ways reminded her of the cavern were it not for one section being entirely composed to glass. It was an open area that included each floor multi-level house, having them end prematurely with railing and leave nothing but open air. From the bottom floor, the second and third floors were in view and even reachable with flight. It was almost like a section of the house had been removed that was large enough to fit a tree. Except instead of leaves and bark, chandeliers, art pieces, and comfy furniture decorated the place. There was even a bar beneath the overhang of the second floor to the side, a popular hangout place for some of the batponies.

Besides the view of the city, there were normally two things her ponies were actively engaged in while in the large room. One was to her displeasure was drinking, and the other to her infinite joy was reading. Being sheltered in Dusk Town their entire lives had limited their knowledge on the world. And while the princesses had at least been kind enough to give them some literature and basic knowledge of Equestria, they were still frighteningly uneducated about the world. So it was thanks to the many shelves of books Blueblood owned that Ruby could tolerate the drinking some of them had taken to.

When she had arrived, she quickly spotted Mist Hoof amongst the few batponies already in the room. He was sitting atop a chair to himself, idly sipping from a glass that was no doubt from the bar while reading a book.

She had expected to at least wait an hour or so for him to wake up, given that the sun had not yet fully descended from the sky. Its golden glow held a dim reflection on the metallic objects within the room, and would have been glaring bright itself were it not for the dimmed windows that filled the entire outer wall. It served an additional purpose of not revealing to any passing by flier a view of the inside due to its design. She and the batponies would only risk walking outside onto the large balcony on the other side when it was completely night time. Ruby had been concerned of unintroduced visitors landing while they lounged outside, but had been reassured any pony that had business at the penthouse landed on another balcony on the other side of the building. Blueblood's residence was a well-known spot, and decent pegasus etiquette prevented any nosy guests.

"Good evening," Ruby said as she sat next to Mist Hoof.

"Evening, Ruby," Mist Hoof replied while closing his book.

"What are you reading?"

"Some mystery novel about a detective named 'Sky Steel'," Mist Hoof said. He took a sip of his drink and winced slightly at the burning sensation of the alcohol while Ruby brought a hoof to her chin.

"Is it the one about the mare held by the Trotting Dogs gang?"

"That's the group who kidnapped her?" Mist Hoof said in with interest.

Ruby lowered her ears in apology. "Oh sorry, I take it you haven't reached that point yet."

Mist Hoof let out a small gruff. "Well just don't tell me how Steel gets her back. However, I'm surprised you've already read it. I thought I had the only copy when we first arrived."

"Actually… that is one of the reasons why I am looking for you," Ruby admitted. "But there's something else more important. Have we received a letter from Shade Flare yet?"

"No, I'm afraid not," Mist Hoof answered with a shake of his head. "I've asked Silver Platter to let me know immediately once it arrives, and I'll let you know as soon as I do."

"Okay," Ruby replied sullenly. "I'm just worried about him. His transformation did not go as expected, and I can't help but wonder if something may be wrong with him."

"Is that why you are holding off on transformation any of us?" Mist Hoof asked, already figuring that was the reason for her delay.

"Yes," Ruby sighed. "I just can't bring myself to do it again until I know what happened. If Night Walker were here I might since he's much more experienced with everything, but…"

"It's alright Ruby," Mist Hoof said. "No one would blame you for your decision to wait."

Ruby's head sunk lower. "But I'm supposed to be the one to fix all of you. What if whatever happened to Shade Flare wasn't a fluke? What if I just can't fully heal you?"

Mist Hoof didn't answer right away. Instead, he chooses to think it over for a few moments while taking another sip of his drink. After staring thoughtfully into the glass, he finally answered. "To be honest, if you were never able to cure me, and I just happen to die today, I would still be happy."

Ruby's ears perked as she lifted her head. "How can you say that?"

"Because," Mist Hoof said with a smile, "regardless of what you may not be able to give us, you still brought us a freedom we have never known before." He swept his foreleg across the expanse of the open room. "I mean, look at this place. Look at the city were in. Look at this drink that burns my throat! All of these are things I never would have seen had it not been for you. Ruby, even if you didn't give us vampirism, you still gave us the world. You brought back a dream I and many others had given up long ago. A dream that I can truthfully say, would still be happy to die for."

"Mist Hoof…"

"Unfortunately, the same can't be said about the rest of us," he finished dryly. "Not everypony is going to live to my age. So I hate to be the bearer of bad news, you are going to have to figure out how to fix us. But… since you don't know what went wrong, or if something _is_ even wrong… and you just happen to need a test pony…" Mist Hoof ended openly.

"Are you… saying what I think you're saying?"

"What I'm saying," Mist Hoof said while crossing his arms, "is that if you need a pony to work out the kinks on, or if things may not go as expected… feel free to use me to iron out wrinkles."

"Mist Hoof, I can't ask you to do that," Ruby said. "I'd much rather wait for word back from Shade Flare than to just put your life in jeopardy as a guinea pig."

"And what if we don't hear from him?" Mist Hoof countered. Before Ruby could speak, he continued. "I know you already are aware of this, but this isn't a game. We split into groups so we could better our chance of remaining hidden. If one gets caught, the other two at least have a chance to keep fighting."

"That's not going to happen," Ruby replied sternly.

"But if it does," Mist Hoof replied in kind, "we need to prepare for the possibility we may never know what happened to Shade Flare."

The two of them locked eyes against each other, silently willing the other to accept their side of the argument. And after a long length, Ruby sighed in defeat. "One week. That's how long were waiting."

Mist Hoof smiled. "Thanks for accepting an old codgers last request."

"You're not an old codger, nor is it your last request," Ruby said sternly, but the smile that grew on her lips reduced its effect.

"Well given that I manage to be old enough to get some salt onto my coat, I'd say I qualify enough," Mist Hoof replied. "But back on topic, what was the other thing you wanted to talk about."

"Actually, it's two more things," Ruby said. "The first ties into my memory."

"Has it come back?" Mist Hoof said eagerly, his eyes wide with hope.

"No. At least, not in the way I'm hoping."

Mist Hoof settled back into his seat and waited quietly for Ruby to explain.

"Ever since we arrived in Fillydelphia, I've been getting weird moments of recollection. I was apparently sealed away for over a thousand years, but I still somehow know what a skyscraper is."

"You recognized them?" Mist Hoof asked in disbelief.

"Hm-hm."

"I didn't put much thought into it, but you did seem to handle everything pretty well." Mist Hoof stroked the bit of scruff on his chin while he thought aloud. "All of us were taken aback from the sights this place has, but at least we were already aware of that they existed. For you to have lived in another time, I figured you were just to speechless to comment on any of it."

"And that's not all," Ruby said. "I haven't read that book since we've been here." She pointed a hoof to the novel sitting in front of Mist Hoof.

His face was confused at first, but eventually the meaning of the comment dawned onto him, and left his mouth open in disbelief. "Then… how did you know about what happens in the story? There weren't any books like this back in the cave."

"That's the thing… I don't know."

"That… is concerning," Mist Hoof commented. He leaned back against the sofa in deep thought, running over his mind on how it was possible his princess was aware of such things.

As if she already could guess the scenarios he was thinking, Ruby said, "I've already spent awhile trying to figure it out. At best I think it may have to do with me being sealed by the princesses."

"So they let you read books?"

"Who knows," Ruby replied while shrugging. "I don't know how I was treated while being their prisoner. But it could be very well the case I could read books depending on my situation. But that doesn't explain how I knew what a sky scraper was."

"You could have read about them," Mist Hoof offered.

"No, I don't think so," Ruby replied hesitantly. "I've had this feeling now and then, and it only appears when I actually _see_ something. Like your book for example. I only knew what happened in the story when I saw its cover."

"You don't remember it that you… remember it, until you see it?"

"At first I have no idea that it exists at all. Then I see it and it's like, 'poof!' There it is!" Ruby's hooves came to her temples and exploded outward to gesture the effect. "And it's only until afterwards that I realize that only a moment ago I had no knowledge on whatever it is, but then suddenly find myself knowing everything about it. It's really weird and raises so many questions."

"Indeed," Mist Hoof agreed, finding his the situation even more perplexing than her.

"Which leads me to the final thing I wanted to talk about," Ruby said. She took a breath in preparation of what she was about to say, then turned to Mist Hoof with a serious expression. "I want to go out into the city. Alone."

"What!?" Mist Hoof exclaimed.

"I feel like it's the only way I'm going to figure this out," Ruby continued over him in attempts to explain. "If I see what I can recognize within the city, maybe I can slowly piece together other memories and understand what happened to me."

"Princess Ruby!" Mist Hoof said, causing her to flinch at the use of her title. "I cannot condone you to go out into the city and even worse alone!" His worry and anger at her request was very apparent, but he respectively held himself as much as he could. "We cannot risk you being by yourself or being noticed."

"I was able to be on my own before," Ruby countered.

"Yes, but I heard what had happened with that lost mare. This isn't the woods anymore. This is a city full of ponies! And while I know you are very capable of taking care of yourself, there are simply too many ponies. If they found out who you are…" Mist Hoof said, unable to finish the sentence.

"Which is why I am going out in disguise," Ruby said. "I already mentioned that back while we were preparing to leave the cave before the attack. I'll just cover up my wings and horn, maybe even wear a wig, and it will be no problem."

Mist Hoof gave Ruby a very hard look, who also happened to return it in kind. It was another silent battle of willing their side of the argument against each other. But this time, Mist Hoof knew he was not going to win. "At least allow one of us to accompany you," he said without breaking eye contact.

"No. I won't risk any batpony, which is the reason I have to go alone."

"Ebon Wing them. He can hide in the shadows."

"Not taking the chance. I may go inside buildings or become lost in the crowd. And Ebon Wing can't maintain his spell if he's almost moving."

The two of them remained locked in a staring contest, until Mist Hoof finally yielding and took a swig of his drink. "You are a stubborn princess. But I suppose in the end all you have to do is order me."

Mist Hoof then felt the gentle touch of Ruby's hoof against his arm. He looked back to her face and found a sweet and warming expression as she spoke, "You're more than my subjects. You're my family. And I'm not pulling the princess card unless I have to. I want to be able to discuss our situations and come to an agreement ourselves. That's what you do with your kin after all."

Mist Hoof was taken aback at first, but then too let out a small grin at the kindness of her words. _It amazes me at times at how we are somehow related to you,_ Mist Hoof thought to himself. _We couldn't have asked for a better princess. I just wish you wouldn't endanger yourself. I don't know if we could survive another dream being shattered…_

"Okay," Mist Hoof said. "But at least wait until the sun is completely down."

"Will do," Ruby replied happily.

* * *

"Make sure you stay away from stranger ponies. Always keep the exit in sight. Here, let me look at you from this angle," Mist Hoof said. He had been fussing over last minute details and whatever thoughts popped into his head while he stood with Ruby by the elevator.

Ruby had been able to acquire some clothing from Silver Platter to mask her alicorn features, and now sported a concealing outfit that was apparently 'fashionably old enough to remain low key'. She wore a simple turtle neck black shirt that was tight enough to accent every curve of her body, a similar fabric akin to the Yoga pants she had initially considered wearing. But she had given the pants up for a less constricting decorative red saddle piece. It was a common enough article of clothing in the city, and it was wide enough to hide her cutie mark.

A simple wide brim hat covered her horn as she wished her wings to be free lest she require a speedy escape, but was advised against it by Silver Platter who–uncharastically–offered advice that it was not common for unicorns to be able to perform teleportation so well, and that she did not know the layout of the city well enough to risk it. Just when she thought it was odd for him to offer helpful advice like that on his own free will, he even finished saying she looked much better in a unicorn outfit than one fitted for pegasi.

While it made sense in the end, it was only with reluctance that she chose to follow the advise and cover her wings.

With all those items along with a pair of sunglasses and a deep blue wig—that had matching clip-on tail-highlights—her outfit was complete and her true appearance completely covered. She had asked about why they had a wig in the first place, thinking that she might have had to wait for Silver Platter to buy one. But the butler had simply commented it was an item that was stocked in the house for the more 'eccentric' parties Prince Blueblood hosted now and then.

With all of that taken care off, she only had Mist Hoof attempting to not sound so worried as he fretted over details.

"Shake your head side to side, I want to see if your glasses or hat will fall off. We may need a smaller size to stay on."

"Mist Hoof, it's fine," Ruby sighed.

Lowering his ears in embarrassment at knowing full well he was acting like a doting mother, he added, "Just make sure you keep this building in sight. I don't want you losing track of where you are."

"I'll be fine," Ruby said in a much more relaxed tone. "Thank you for worrying. But everything will be okay."

"I hope so," Mist Hoof said solemnly.

"Keep an eye on everyone until I get back. And make sure Ebon Wing doesn't try sneaking into the hard cider again," Ruby said as she pressed the button for the elevator.

"If you didn't want him drinking, you should have taken him with you," Mist Hoof replied.

Ruby only smirked before the doors open, and then proceeded into the space. "See you in a few hours."

"Good luck, and stay safe," Mist Hoof called as the doors shut.

Ruby was then at that moment, completely alone.

She exhaled in apprehension at the idea. She felt it was necessary to go out on her own, but it would be the first time she would be completely away from the batponies. The notion that she couldn't reach them or they her should something come up, was proving to be a more freighting thing than she realized.

 _I need to do this,_ she told herself. _I need to explore this world so I can better understand it, and perhaps even learn more about myself._

Recalling the number Silver Platter had told her to press, as well as repeating the combination required to return back to the penthouse, she touched the panel and felt the floor shift beneath her as it whisked her down to the lobby.

When she had reached the bottom and the doors opened, she nervously peered out into the main floor. It was just as fanciful as the penthouse from the polished floors to the cut columns. But across the way was a view she had yet to see since her arrival in Fillydelphia; a pair of glass doors that on the other side held a bustling street full of passing ponies.

Suddenly the idea of going out into the crowd by herself seemed much more foalish than before.

Raising a hoof to her chest and exhaling, Ruby picked herself up and began to trot confidently towards the door.

"Have a good evening," a voice suddenly spoke to her right.

Ruby's heart nearly leapt from her chest as she swung her head to spy a pony sitting behind a counter; a young mare that merely smiled in her direction.

"O-oh," Ruby stammered. "Actually… I'm just going for a short walk. I'll be back later."

"Very well, have a good walk then," the pony corrected herself.

"T-thank you," Ruby said before resuming her path to the doors. _It's alright. She doesn't know who you are._

Ruby wanted to pause in front of those doors and take a moment to adjust at the fact she was about to go out onto a busy sidewalk, but the following stare of the mare kept her moving forward and she quickly found herself standing outside the tower.

Ruby remained petrified for a few moments, before gingerly stepping out of the way of passing ponies. She looked worryingly to each ones face that passed her by, lowering her ears as if she was about to be caught. But besides receiving a few odd looks, none of them gave her a second glance and simply went on their way. Ruby's fearful demeanor slowly changed to a one with confidence.

 _I did it. I went outside and nopony recognizes me._ Standing more upright and looking about the new world she had just stepped in, a grin spread across her face. _I did it! Haha!_

With her false perceptions of persecution out of the way, Ruby walked down the sidewalk and headed to the heart of the city, her eyes looking about with wide fascination at all the sights before her.

* * *

Ruby's experience that night was a mixture of joy and confusion.

She had found many things of interest that she made sure to visit again on her next outing, having decided that this time she would just walk around and sightsee instead of browsing the insides of buildings. And while some things were not immediately recognizable, she chalked them up to being some sort of new product she was not aware of. But everything else that was not decorative and actually held some function, came into her mind like a floodgate of knowledge she previously had no access to. Though she could not remember being in a city, the familiarity of everything was enough to convince her that she had visited one at least once or twice.

Theaters, bars, clubs, restaurants, and more were all things she was confident did not exist a thousand years ago. And the mannerisms and behaviors of ponies were also a strange and familiar memory. It was nighttime in a bustling city, and every type of pony imaginable was roaming the street beneath the bright lights. She had done her best to avoid any conversation with ponies, least she give away some clue to her identity. But when she had boarded a multi-pony trolley she had the unfortunate luck of sitting next to a very chatting pony. The only reason why she had decided to get on because it was one of the very few but interesting transportation options in the city, and suspected it to be one of Blueblood's inventions given that it was not being pulled by any ponies. So when she sat down on the benches inside the long vehicle, the stallion next to her began to talk.

"First time on a bus?"

"Uh… yeah," Ruby said as she secured her sunglasses. "Is it that obvious?"

The stallion chuckled. "It is when you keep looking around like the way you did. To be honest, I still catch myself doing the same thing. These things haven't been out too long but they're starting to grow in popularity. I heard one of the drivers that they were going to manufacture a dozen more for Fillydelphia before they start selling 'em in other cities."

"Oh, interesting," Ruby said. She turned her attention away to hint that she wasn't to interested in the conversation. Unfortunately the stallion did not pick up on it.

"So you from out of town then?"

"Hm-hm."

"What brings you here?"

"...Business."

"Oh really? What kind?"

"Uhm… with Skyline Tower?"

"Not a bad place to work at. My cousin is one of the janitors there. Where do you work in it?"

 _Tailfeathers._

Ruby's salvation came when the bus suddenly lurched to a stop and began to pick up more passengers. "I'm sorry, but this is my stop. I've got to get going now."

"Alright then," the stallion replied cheerfully. "I wouldn't want to hold you up. See you around."

"Hm-hm, have a good night," Ruby mumbled as she quickly exited the bus. Not waiting for it to pull away to give some distance between her and the chatty pony, Ruby headed off into the throng of ponies. Apparently the stop it had dropped her off at was one of the more bustling part of the city. It was actually becoming to a little overwhelming as she tried to spy anything of interest within the crowd or amongst the multitude of bright lights and signs.

Overall at the end of her short but tiring walk, and as enlightening as the experience was, it only raised more questions as to the details of her thousand year imprisonment. Had the princesses let her out a few times to see the world? Or had she escaped before being recaptured? As wonderful as it was to know the things that rushed to her mind during her walk, none of it was truly helpful in figuring out her problem.

Feeling that she had enough for the night, Ruby turned around and began to make the long trek back to the penthouse, her mind a mile away as she attempted to solve her mysterious puzzle. She however, had become so lost in her thoughts that she failed to take notice the pony in front of her, who in turn, had not been paying attention to their surroundings as well.

With a painful collision, the two of them bumped heads into each other, knocking Ruby's sunglasses off her face and disheveling her hat and wig.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry," Ruby apologized as she hurriedly repositioned her disguise, hoping that the other pony had not taken notice of her dark purple mane beneath now poking at the sides. In a fluster, Ruby haphazardly straightened her wig, and bent down to pick up her glasses, only paying half attention to the other pony that was picking themselves back up.

At first, the pony had only given a mumble of annoyance that Ruby was unable to make out, but was turning into something she figured was also an apology. It was a mare by the sound of her voice, pleasant and sweet if anything unlike the accents she had heard in the city. But when the mare said her first few words, her voice rang through Ruby's mind, causing her to halt in mid reach for the sunglasses.

Ruby's entire body froze as the world around her became muffled and drowned out, leaving her feeling suddenly very isolated and very odd. With a fleeting thought, Ruby was dimly aware and confused as to why her limbs were refusing to move, why her breath had been caught in her throat, or why her heart began to beat faster.

The mare spoke again, and a sudden tightness came in Ruby's chest, causing her to feel as if the wind had been knocked out of her. Her body was becoming numb, and the world became quieter and quieter as her mind began to registered the mare's voice more clearly.

For Ruby, it was as if her body was drifting sideways and standing still at the same time, causing a moment of surreality that sent her mind spinning. The mare spoke again, this time each of her words been heard and understood vividly, causing an intense vertigo as Ruby's world began to spin.

"Twalight? Is that you?"


	29. Chapter 29

_Shadows came and stole away,_  
 _Memories that should never fade_

 _Robbing her of heart and mind,_  
 _Taking her home and friends alike_

 _At first she forgot their names,_  
 _And then she forgot their faces,_  
 _But etched in the approaching darkness,_  
 _Was the calling of their somber voices…_

"Twalight? Is that you?"

Ruby ever so slowly lifted her head, feeling as if there was a great weight holding her down every one of her muscles.

When she was able to finally look up, she saw in front of her an orange earth pony. She was sporting golden locks that were set into a flowing ponytail, along with a worn looking cowboy hat atop her head. Her cheeks were speckled with freckles, and her green eyes were large and wide as she returned Ruby's stare. Upon first glance, there was nothing familiar about the mare in the slightest, and yet, her voice held a firm grip of nostalgia that made Ruby's head spin.

"That is you, ain't it, Twalight?" she asked again as she stepped forward, speaking softly as if in awe. Again her voice went through Ruby, and continued to firmly fix her in place. Ruby didn't know who she was, or why she was calling her Twilight, but regardless of why in Equestria the pony thought she was someone else, her mind screamed in the back of her perplexed and froze state to run.

But try as she might, she found it impossible for her to move her legs.

The cowpony peered closely with a mixture of scrutiny and disbelief, before her eyes became even wider, and the largest and happiest grin Ruby had seen spread across her face.

"It is you!"

"Applejack? Whatever is the matter?" another voice said, impossibly doubling the weight that Ruby felt within and on top of her. It was the voice of another mare, and though it was the exact opposite of the southern accent of the cowpony before her—sounding as if she was from Fillydelphia herself—her words were equally as holding.

"Rarity! Come here! It's Twalight!" the cowpony replied before sweeping Ruby into a firm embrace. "It's really her! We found her!"

"What!?" the voice shrieked.

Ruby gasped for breath from the strong embrace of the cowpony, and frantically looked about for some way to escape before she spotted the approaching figure of a white unicorn with an elegant flowing purple mane. She looked upon Ruby with a look of scrutiny that was even more intense than the pony swinging her around. But when Ruby's wig shifted further, revealing her purple mane beneath, the white unicorn's face changed into one of excitement similar to the cowpony, except with the addition of tears beginning to stream down her face.

"Oh, Twilight!"

She then ran forward and wrapped her hooves around her, sandwiching Ruby between the two of them. "Oh my heavens! We've been looking all over for you!"

"Ah told ya, Rarity! I knew we'd find her!"

Ruby stared out helplessly as the two ponies gripped her tightly in their arms and pressed their heads against her.

"I can't believe we finally found you!" the unicorn exclaimed as she manage to wipe a tear without letting her hold on Ruby loosen. "We must tell the girls and Princess Celestia and Luna right away!"

"WHAT!?"

This time, it had been Ruby who shouted.

At the mention of the Royal Sister's names, Ruby found herself able to move again, and forcibly squirmed her way out between the two of them.

"Ow! Twilight! Careful!" the unicorn complained as she rubbed her ribs from a swinging hoof from Ruby.

"Are you okay, sugarcube?" the cowpony asked with concern, reaching out a hoof towards her.

"Get away!" Ruby shouted again before smacking the offered hoof away.

"Twalight…" the cowpony said as she looked at Ruby with a hurt expression.

Catching her breath, Ruby was semi crouched as she shifted her eyes between the two of them, then onto the crowd of ponies that were beginning to stand around them.

"I'm sorry, but you must have mistaken me for another pony," Ruby replied as she slowly backed away.

"Twilight, it's us!" the unicorn said. "Rarity and Applejack! Don't you recognize us?"

"No, I don't!" Ruby replied. In truth, their appearances and names held no meaning to her. But their voices, they still held a mysterious grip that kept her retreating steps small and forced. If it wasn't for that, she would have torn off long ago before the orange one would have even grabbed ahold of her, something she was cursing herself for even allowing.

 _Come on, legs! Run!_ Ruby yelled internally.

The one she gathered that was called Applejack moved towards her with a sorrowful expression, but then stopped as she narrowed her eyes and gritted her teeth.

"This is Night Walker's doing ain't it? Princess Celestia was right, he messed with your head!"

Ruby paused for a brief heartbeat, then spun around and sped off into the crowd as nearly all of the strange sluggishness in her limbs vanished.

"WAIT! COME BACK!"

Ruby didn't respond, and kept her gaze focused forward as she nimbly ducked through the crowd without wasting her momentum.

 _What's going on? Why are Celestia's agents walking about the streets like this? And why didn't they attack me?_

Ruby leapt through the a hotdog stand that had been occupying the bulk of the sidewalk, and turned down the first road that appeared.

 _Why did they call me Twilight? Is that a name they coded me while I was held captive? Where they the guards?_ A small inkling of desire to turn around and find out what they knew past by her thoughts, but she shook her head and added to her speed. _No, I can't risk them catching me, or me leading them back to the tower. I need to make sure I lose them and make my way back carefully. Just a few more streets and-_

"TWALIGHT! GET BACK HERE!"

Ruby caught her breath as she nearly halted from shout from behind her. Her body wanted to obey the command with practically every fiber of her being, but she forced herself to continue on, and quickly picked up the speed she had wasted. Once she was sure of her footing, she warily risked a look behind her, and saw Applejack in hot pursuit.

Though she wasn't as agile as Ruby, she had plenty of speed and strength, and had no issue barreling past ponies that were more than glad to make way for her.

 _Who in Equestria is she?_ Ruby thought in panic. Seeing Applejack cover the ground between them at an alarmingly rate, Ruby pushed herself forward again, clenching her teeth as she moved her reluctant legs that made her feeling as if she was running through mud.

 _How are they doing this? What kind of magic did Celestia give them?_

Ruby didn't know where the one called Rarity had gone, or if she was even behind her, but she wasn't about to let herself become caught by some earth pony that thought she could out race her.

With a growl, Ruby sped onward through the streets of Fillydelphia, ducking past corners and even skirting across traffic once or twice. But no matter how she tried, Ruby could not shake off Applejack who always managed to keep her in sight, and was steadily closing the gap between them.

 _I can't lose her,_ Ruby thought in annoyance. _Looks like I'm going to have to fly._

Ruby scanned for the next alleyway that she would pass, readying herself to duck into it at the last second and rip off the outfit so as to free her wings. She would just have to hope that nopony saw her flying through the sky.

So when her eyes flickered to a dark line between two buildings only some distance ahead of her, she pushed forward with all her strength, and rounded the corner in a full on gallop. But as she did, she halted immediately as she found herself skidding to a brick wall that blocked off the rest of what should have been a longer alleyway.

She stared up in disbelief at the shorter building that was apparently wedged between the two taller ones on her side.

With a frustrated 'tsk', she turned around to find another one as quickly as possible, but the pony that had been hot on her heels was already standing between her and the street, panting as heavily as Ruby was.

"Yer… not getting away… Twalight," Applejack said between breaths.

"I… told you… I don't know… who that is!" Ruby replied in kind.

"Give it up… and come with us. Were only here to help ya," Applejack stated as she took a step closer.

"Stay away!" Ruby shouted, instinctively backing up.

"No, ah'm not leaving ya," Applejack said with another step.

"I'm warning you!" Ruby shouted, but Applejack continued dutifully forward.

Ruby inched backwards as she ran possibility after possibility in her head as to how she was going to escape, wondering if she even could with the strange power Applejack held over her. When Ruby's rear legs brushed against the brick wall behind her, realization set in, and her mind shut down.

She was cornered, and there was only one thing she could do.

Crouching low, Ruby flared her horn, and curled her lips and gave a low snarl. She made her fangs clearly seen, and instinctively twitched her muscles, preparing herself for a leap.

Applejack stopped immediately, and felt a cool chill run down her spine. The way Ruby held herself, and the look in her eyes, was exactly how Applejack once saw a Timberwolf look when confronted by a group of ponies. From what she remembered, it hadn't ended well.

With a fresh bead of sweat, Applejack nervously gulped, and whispered softly, "...Twalight… hold on a minute now…"

Applejack stepped one hoof back, and it was all Ruby needed.

 _~NO!~_

As Ruby began to flex her muscles, the magic in her horn faded out, and her legs became slack, causing herself to fall forward onto herself.

Groaning, she propped herself up and tilted her eyes to her horn in disbelief.

"Twalight? Are you okay?"

Ruby snapped her eyes onto Applejack who had taken a few steps closer but still holding a somewhat safe distance. Snarling again, Ruby summoned her magic and stand up to lunge at her again. But even as she tried to grasp her with her horn, a sudden pain flared in her head, and sent her back to her knees with a anguished cry.

"Twilight! What's wrong!?" Applejack asked frantically as she rushed to her side.

"GET AWAY!" Ruby screamed, blindly throwing her hoof in Applejack's direction

"Twilight…"

Applejack stared helplessly at Ruby, fidgeting on her hooves at the urge to rush to her side even though a flailing hoof kept her back. As Ruby shakily stood up and fell against the wall for support, Rarity turned the corner with heavy breaths.

"There… you… are!"

"Rarity! Something's wrong with Twi!" Applejack said without taking her eyes away from Ruby.

"What is it?" Rarity asked as she pushed herself to trot the remaining distance. She stopped next to Applejack, and gave a small gasp of fright at the sight of Ruby keeping herself propped up with the wall, her hooves near her head as she growled in pain, and her crimson eyes staring fearfully and hatefully towards her.

"Stay… away…" Ruby growled as the pain began to subside.

Some moments passed between the three, Rarity catching her breath as she eyed Ruby worriedy, Ruby glaring at the both of them as she tried to formulate a plan, and Applejack biting her lip as to what to do.

When Rarity's breaths became easier, she took a single step to gain Ruby's attention, and swallowed a lump that had been in her throat.

"You… You really don't remember us, do you?"

"No, I don't" Ruby growled.

Rarity's lips quivered and her eyes watered, but she quickly shut them, and took a deep breath. After a visible shudder ran through her body, she straightened her posture, and opened her eyes.

Her eyes did not have the softness and hesitation that were there moments ago.

"It appears we have only one options then," Rarity said heavily. She glanced at Applejack and gave a small nod. Applejack lowered her ears and opened her mouth to protest, but clenched her jaw as she looked back to Ruby. Hesitation was still in Applejack's eyes as well, but they were resolved as Rarity's.

"I'm sorry, Twilight," Rarity said, "but for your own good… you're going to have to come with us."

"Don't you even dare," Ruby hissed.

"Sorry Twi, but like Rarity said, its fer your own good," Applejack said as she drew forth a rope. "Were only here 'ta help ya."

"Get back!" Ruby threatened. But Applejack did not cease as she continued forward, and Rarity flared her horn to levitate a small object in view that Ruby did not recognize.

"Please, sugarcube, don't fight this, " Applejack said softly.

Ruby's breath quickened as her eyes darted between the two of them. She couldn't outrun them, and for some impossible reason, she couldn't kill them. Which only left her her original plan, and it would take all her willpower to see it through.

With one swift motion, Ruby threw her head to the side, magically tearing apart the outfit she wore and flaring her wings out. Applejack and Rarity paused only a few seconds in surprise, but it was more than enough than what she needed. Jumping as high as she could, Ruby kicked off the brick wall and flew over their heads.

Applejack spun around and readied a lasso, but Ruby was already moving to swiftly pass her. A glimmer of hope appeared inside her, before being snuffed out in but a moment, as a new voice shouted, one that made her wings lock up instantly.

"NO YOU DON'T!"

Her escape plan however, was countered by a sudden blur of a rainbow tackling her from the sky, and back to the alley floor below.

Ruby didn't have a chance to react; she hadn't even seen where the pegasus had come from. The blur of rainbow collided with Ruby, and crashed them both onto the alley floor with a thud.

Whether if it was because she was a vampony, or the way the pegasus had hit her, she had not broken a bone and could only feel the warning signs of bruises. But even that sensation was dim for the air in her lungs had been expelled by the force of the impact, and she remained dazed as she attempted to recollect herself.

"Rarity, Do it now!" the pegasus shouted above her before pinning Ruby down with all her might.

The pressure of the pony's grappling her back legs and sitting on her back brought Ruby into a more aware state, and she began squirming with all her strength. "GET OFF OF ME!"

In the few seconds Ruby flailed, it was clear the pegasus was not going to be able to hold her down for long, and some relief filled her as she began to slip away from her hold. But for all her might and will, the sudden sensation of an object wrapping around her horn, followed by the sound of metal locking onto itself, Ruby found her strength to keep fighting vanishing.

And before she knew it, she had slipped into darkness.

* * *

The first thing that came to Ruby's mind was how weak her body felt. It was like a heavy blanket had been draped across her, making even her attempt to stir as she woke nearly impossible. A groan died in her throat at not even having the strength to open her mouth. Even opening her eyes seemed beyond her power.

 _Why… is it so hard to think?_

Narrowing her eyes in confusion, or at least an attempt to, Ruby tried to clear the haze from her mind, all while trying to will her limbs to move. Slowly, her thoughts gathered, and involuntary twitches spread across her. She realized that she was on something soft, and actually had a blanket laid over her.

 _That's right… I was being chased…_

If she had been able to, her eyes would have snapped open.

 _Where am I? What's going on? Wh-_

"Did you have to be so rough Rainbow Dash?"

Ruby faintly sucked in a breath at the familiar sound of one of the mares nearby her.

"If I didn't tackle her when I did she would have gotten away!"

"But still, I think-"

"Relax, Rarity, Rainbow's right. She would've gotten away if it weren't for her. None of us wants 'ta hurt Twalight, but we have to protect her, even if it's from herself."

"I know I know… I just still don't like how this is turning out."

"Duh, none of us are."

Ruby let her mind drift as she listened to their voices intently, focusing on remembering who was who. It was easy to remember Applejack from her country twang, and the articulate voice of Rarity. The more raspy one however, was unfamiliar, until she recalled a similar voice yelling just as she had been tackled. If she had to guess, her name would be Rainbow Dash.

"You okay, Rarity?" Rainbow Dash asked

"Hmm? Yes, I'm fine."

"Then why are you staring at Twilight like that?"

Ruby swore she could have felt her eyes on her the moment it had been said.

"It's just… I was hoping more than anything that it wouldn't come to this."

"Ah hear you there," Applejack said, followed by the sound of her hoofsteps. "Ah mean, look at her." Ruby tried her best not to recoil what little she could as a hoof gently brushed across her bangs. "Sleeping like this, it's like none of this has happened at all… It's hard to think that only an hour ago she looked like she was about to do away with me..."

Some moments of silence passed, of which Ruby spent in relief at how short of a time had passed since she had been captured.

"...So what happened when you first found her?"

"She didn't recognize me or Rarity, and high-tailed it when we talked to her."

As Applejack relayed the tale, along with snippets of Rarity's side of trying to catch up, Ruby found her thoughts drifting, and her muscles easing into the blankets. The way the talked around her, their unique voices and accents, it felt familiar, soothing even.

It was when she felt her herself hum gently that she realized she was faintly smiling.

 _Wait…_

Her good mood vanished, and she furrowed her brows, finding that her body was still steadily becoming more responsive.

 _Why in Equestria would I be happy to hear them? No, this isn't right. This has to be a trick. They must be using some weird power again._

These mares were dangerous, and Ruby needed get away from them. Even if she was bound helplessly as she was, she still needed to try.

 _I can't feel anything holding me, so why do I still feel so weak?_

Refusing herself to become lulled by their voices again, Ruby forced her attention away from them. She tried drawing magic into her horn, but found it unable to gather past the base, almost as if something was blocking it. It was then she noticed the extra weight that was on her head.

Ruby struggled to pull her hoof from beneath the blanket, and cautiously touched her horn. She drew her hoof over something metallic that was clasped around her horn, and weakly tried to undo it.

"Uh, girls? Twilight's awake," Rainbow Dash announced.

 _Ponyfeathers…_

With no options left, Ruby brought her hoof back down, and opened her eyes. She half expected them to rush about her and put her back into a sleep, or bound her limbs together so that she could not move. But as her vision cleared and the room came into focus, she saw the three of them simply standing around her bed, staring at her in what could only be described as concern.

"Wh… who… are you?" Ruby asked.

"Well, darling, to put it simply," Rarity said quietly, "we're your friends."

"F-friends?" Ruby asked, before giving them a sour look. "You really… expect me... to believe that?"

"Were not lying, sugarcube," Applejack said as she leaned forward. "All three of us are your friends from Ponyville. Can you remember that?"

"…No," Ruby answered. Seeing that they weren't trying to put her back under, she decided to risk sitting up.

She gave a grunt as she pushed herself upright, her limbs struggling at the exertion alone. When she slipped once, Rainbow Dash by immediately by her side, and much to her chagrin, assisted her the rest of the way up.

"Easy there, Twilight," Rainbow Dash said gently.

Ruby scowled but let her help. Once she was seated up she tried to shove her away, but ended up only gently nudging her.

"Get… off me, and stop call me that.

The more she pushed the more strength she found coming back to her. Even speaking was becoming naturally easy again. Yet, she despite how reassuring it was, she bettered that whatever they had done to her, would not allow her full strength to return, let alone enough to resist them.

"But that's your name," Rainbow Dash said slowly. "Twilight Sparkle."

"No, it's not," Ruby corrected while glaring. "My name is _Ruby_ Sparkle."

The three of them stared dumbfounded at her.

"It must be Night Walker's doing," Rarity commented, eliciting agreeing nods from the other two.

"What is going on? Why have you captured me?" Ruby asked as she looked back and forth between the three of them, remaining as inconspicuous as possible in taking in where they were.

From first glance it looked as if they were in a cheap motel. They were in the corner of the room near the only bed, with two windows with blinds drawn on the adjacent walls, and two doors; one to the left, and one to the right. She assumed one of them lead to the bathroom, and the other out into the hall. She had to figure out a way to get out of here, but she had no clue how with the strength she had now. Even if she had managed to get herself through a window, she doubted she was capable of flying right now. And since she had first awakened, she had still yet to draw forth her magic. Whatever was sapping her physical strength, was completely nullifying her magic.

"Were here 'ta rescue ya," Applejack said with a gentle smile, something that only made Ruby grimace.

"Rescue me?" Ruby scoffed. "By chasing me through the city and restraining me? For what? To give me back to the princesses so I can be a prisoner again?"

"Twilight-" Rarity began.

"Ruby," she corrected again.

"Er… Ruby," Rarity said, appearing discomforted as the word rolled off her tounge. "I know you are currently experiencing some memory problems, but you must believe us, we are here to help you."

"And what exactly are you helping me from?" Ruby asked, still icing each word with her obvious distrust and frustration.

Rarity looked as if she was about to answer with a pleading face, before she inhaled and recomposed herself.

"Ruby, I know all of this seems very strange. And I can only imagine what you have been falsely-lead to believe in. But the fact remains is that you are Princess _Twilight_ Sparkle, and for nearly a month you have been missing. You were kidnapped by a pony named Night Walker, a dark stallion who threatened and killed ponies nearly a thousand years ago. And as we have feared, he has stolen your memories and filled your head with lies."

This time, it was Ruby who stared dumbfounded at the three of them.

"Your… Your crazy," Ruby muttered in disbelief. "What makes you think I would believe such an obvious lie?"

"Then, you tell us who you are," Rarity calmly asked.

Ruby glared at her for some sign of deceit or trickery. She needed to get as much information from them as possible while at the same time, reveal as little of hers. She didn't know what games the three of them were playing, but she hoped that she wouldn't spill anything that they didn't know.

"I, am _Ruby_ Sparkle, Princess of the vamponies, and co-ruler alongside of Night Walker. I have been imprisoned for the last thousand years, in which my memories were stolen, but by Princess Celestia and Luna. And now their minions have captured me and are trying to convince me that they have _my_ best interests in mind. But in reality, you captured me and are probably going to ship me back off to the princesses!"

"Well, while you are right on that last bit, the rest I'm afraid, are the lies I had mentioned," Rarity said. Her expression however, changed back to her concerned look before. "Twi-… I mean, Ruby, you are in need of help. And right now, only Princess Celestia and Luna can do that. I don't know if they can restore your memories, or reverse this… _disease_ that has infected you, but I assure-"

"It's not a disease!" Ruby screamed as loudly as she could muster. "The disease is the fact that your princesses removed it! Do you know how many bat ponies have died because of their tampering!?"

"So it is true," Rainbow Dash said with a frown. "He took off with a bunch of bat ponies, and now he's trying to make a vampony army!"

"Rainbow, yer not helping," Applejack commented. "Look umm, Ruby, I know you're going to find it hard to believe what we're saying is the truth, but if you just come with us, we can prove everything we're saying."

"There is no proof in all of Equestria that what you are saying is true," Ruby growled. "And if you think I'm going back to the princesses willingly then you're even crazier than I thought." Ruby lowered her chin and stared darkly at them. "I will fight you at every chance I get, resist every inch of the way, and if I get the opportunity... I will kill you."

All three of them held their breaths at the intense glare Ruby gave them. A lump built in their hearts at the reminder that the Twilight they once knew was no longer her. Instead, they were left with a dangerous and distrustful creature named Ruby, whose red eyes stared with a hate their purple counterparts had never shown before. And from her demeanor, she meant every word she had said.

Rarity suppressed a gulp as she recollected herself. "Then, we'll just have to make a change in plans, and call Princess Celestia and Luna here."

Ruby's glower fell at her words on the stop. "No, please don't!"

"I'm sorry, _Ruby_ , but you leave us with no choice."

Ruby's ears fell, and her desperate hope for a chance for escape vanished in a snuff. _I… I'm going back into imprisonment._ Her body felt numb as her head drifted downwards and hung limply, letting herself stare idly at the blanket on top of her. _I'm going to be taken away from everypony..._

"Ruby? What's wrong?" Applejack asked.

 _They are going to take me away from them... Everypony won't have me around..._

"Ruby, please answer me?" Applejack pressed, her worriment growing exponentially when the first tear fell onto the blanket.

 _I won't be able to save them… I won't be able to save them… I won't be able to save them…_

Unable to handle the gravity of the situation, and the implications it meant for all of her ponies, she fell onto the bed, and sobbed into the blankets, desperately covering her head as to put something between her and the mares that were going to take her world away.

"Way to go, Rarity, now you've gone and made her cry," Rainbow Dash scoffed.

"That's not helping, Rainbow Dash," Rarity said with a frown. "You know as well as I do that this is what must be done. You think I enjoy this?"

"Of course not! But we weren't trying to make her break down and cry!"

"Then how would you have handled it?"

While Rarity and Rainbow Dash began to argue over the situation, and Ruby laid down with a growing wail, Applejack stood quietly to the side. She was ignoring what Rarity and Rainbow Dash were doing, unable to pull her eyes away from Ruby. Her ears however, perked from the faint mutterings beneath Ruby's hooves.

"Girls."

"Like that would have helped!"

"Oh, and what you have done so far that has?"

"GIRLS!"

The two of them nearly jumped at Applejacks shout, and flusteredly turned to her, before they two heard Ruby's words during their moment of silence.

Rainbow Dash tilted her head as she leaned closer. "What's she saying?"

Applejack bent down and carefully put a ear closer, straining to make out Ruby's pleas between her crying. When she pieced it together, Applejack's eyes went wide, then lowered sorrowly, and she pulled herself away. Instinctively she reached out a hoof to console Ruby, but withdrew it when she barely brushed her coat, causing to Ruby to gasp and flinch at the contact as if her very touch caused pain.

"Ah think… she's saying 'Ah can't save them'..."

"Them?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"The bat ponies," Rarity answered immediately. "She must be talking about the bat ponies."

"Big deal," Rainbow Dash said with a wave of her hoof. "We get her fixed up by Princess Celestia, and then she'll fix them. Simple as that."

"Unfortunately, dear, Princess Celestia said that ever since the bat ponies had come under her protection, that she had been unable to fully cure them. Don't you recall what she told us?"

Rarity and Rainbow Dash set off into another series of arguments, leaving Applejack to stare at Ruby. Her gut was being contorted by the whole thing, and she gritted her teeth at the thought of what to do about it. "This isn't right…"

"And secondly, Rainbow Dash, I… APPLEJACK! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"

Rarity and Rainbow Dash looked in horror as Applejack reached for the magical lock strapped onto Ruby's horn, and unfastened it.

"Are you crazy!?" Rarity and Rainbow Dash shouted simultaneously. Rarity's horn was already glowing to grab the lock and put back in place.

Applejack however, held it tightly in her hooves and pulled backwards. "We can't do this!"

Ruby's crying ceased the moment she had felt the stifling pressure on her horn vanish, and her strength began to flow back again. She flexed a limb, then another, and was in awe at how quickly their movements came back. Unable to believe what had just happened, Ruby lifted her head up looked to Applejack, searching for some reason as to why she would set her free.

Applejack gave one last scowl to Rarity for trying to take back the lock, then turned to Ruby, speaking loudly so as to address them all.

"Were your friends, and friends help each other in any way possible. And ah don't think turning you over to Princess Celestia is what you need right now."

"Applejack!" Rarity shouted.

"Listen 'ta me! This isn't right! Look at her!" Applejack said pointed a hoof to Ruby. "Our friendship has been tha thing that gotten us through every trial and hurdle we've faced. And if we abandon her now, were just throwing all that away!"

"We aren't abandoning her!" Rainbow Dash yelled. "Were helping her!"

"Not like this!" Applejack declared. "If we really want to help her, then we need to treat her just like a friend! It's obvious she doesn't trust us and would fight every moment we have her. And you all know we can't do a darn thing until we get that amulet back from Night Walker!"

Applejack stared at Rarity and Rainbow Dash, daring them to refute what she had said. When uneasy silence was their only response, she continued. "If we are going to help Twi-, I mean, Ruby, then we need 'ta be honest with her. And not just honest." Applejack pointed to them in turn. "We need 'ta be loyal, and generous. We need to trust her first, before she trusts us."

Applejack threw the lock to the other side of the room, and looked back down to Ruby. "You're free to go."

"What!?" all three of them exclaimed.

"Ya heard me," Applejack said, giving a scowl to Rarity and Rainbow Dash. "If Ruby is going to trust us, then we need to trust her. And the first step 'ta doing that is not keeping her captive. If she wants to talk to us, then she'll talk to us on her own."

Ruby still looked at Applejack in disbelief, unable to comprehend the fact that she had decided to just let her go. Feeling enough of her strength return to be able to walk, she cautiously sat up in her bed and stepped onto the floor, her eyes remaining locked onto Applejack the entire time, who returned her stare without wavering.

Ruby then turned to the other two, noticing how they visibly stiffened upon her gaze. _They didn't plan for this,_ Ruby realized. _She really means to let me go. But…_ Ruby turned back to Applejack, flattening her ears as she asked, "But why?"

"Like ah said," Applejack spoke without hesitation. "Your our friend, and we need 'ta treat ya as such. I don't believe what we were doing is going to help ya in the way you really need it."

"And what makes you think that?"

"My gut tells me."

Ruby blinked at that statement, having difficulty that she had made her decision to set free a vampony that could kill them based entirely off intuition.

 _~Trust her.~_

 _You!_

Ruby shifted her eyes downward, pretending to be mulling over the option. _What in Tartarus are you doing!? Why didn't you let me kill them when I had the chance?_

 _~They're telling the truth.~_

 _And how do you know?_

 _~I don't know.~_

 _You don't know!?_ Ruby screamed mentally. _Well, for all I know, you're simply a spell the princesses put inside me to reel me in whenever their minions are near! Tell me, how can I trust you!?_

Ruby heard the voice sigh in what was either in exhaustion or uncertainty. _~Like I said before, I'm apart of you that you have grown detached from. And despite your theories, you know I'm telling the truth.~_

Ruby revealed her fangs in frustration, eliciting a raised eyebrow from Applejack. On an afterthought, Ruby had to admit that despite being face to face with a vampony queen, Applejack was handling herself well, unlike the other two behind who gulped when they heard the low hiss emanating from her.

Ruby did not understand what was going on, but she decided this was neither the time nor place to figure out how she had managed such a stroke a luck. She needed to get out of there, and she wasn't going to waste another moment as to why she had the chance.

"I'm going now," Ruby declared.

"Haycart street, Rosebud motel, room thirty-six," Applejack said. When Ruby frowned in confusion, she continued, "That's the room we're in. We'll be here when you feel like coming back and talking to us. We'll answer any questions you have, and tell you everything you've missed. Including tha things Night Walker _hasn't_ told you."

Ruby stared questioningly at her for a few moments before closing her eyes in what appeared to be another moment of deep thought. In truth, Ruby felt enough of her strength had return to muster at least one look, and she briefed a glance into the soul of Applejack.

And what she saw inside of her supported everything she had been saying. She was being honest, down to her very core.

While that alone did not shake off Ruby's suspicions this was all an elaborate ploy, thinking that maybe the princesses even warped their agents minds to the point of unwavering and blind loyalty, it was enough for her to trust that she was indeed letting her go, and would wait for her like she said she would.

Dismissing the soul sight, Ruby opened her eyes and gave one last glare at Applejack, before wordlessly turning away and heading for the door. She gave a quick glance to Rarity and Rainbow Dash, both of them clearly unnerved by Applejack's decision, but were not voicing further complaints. It seemed to have taken forever for Ruby to walk across the room, exit the door, and close it behind her, feeling as if at any moment their trap would spring, or common sense would kick back in. But it had only taken seconds for the tense moment to transpire.

Ruby gave a quick glance at the room's door, confirming that it was indeed room thirty-six. And with a flustered 'tsk' to the strange and alarmingly evening, she quickly made her way down the stairs, and out the motel.

Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash stared wordlessly at the door for a full minute. Eventually though, Rarity broke the silence.

"Well, Applejack, I hope you have a well thought out plan for all this."

"Like ah said, Rarity, it just felt right."

"For her sake, darling, I hope it is."

* * *

Down the street and by a corner, a stallion watched the motel. He jotted down into his notebook its address, and the description of the ponies that entered and exited its doors. However, his eyes shifted back to the establishment as purple head poked out of the doors and looked around. The street only had a few ponies at this time of night, one of the rare moments of emptiness that the city had. But with dawn already beginning brighten up the skies to the far east, this barrenness would not last for long.

He watched curiously as she stepped out a few steps onto the street, the pumped her wings skyward and away from the motel. His eyes watched her ascending form as it became increasingly difficult to spot in the night sky. However after a few circles, she headed off into the direction he had predicted she would go; Skyline Tower.

Smiling to himself, he closed his notebook and heading down the street, wondering what this new turn of events would mean for his orders, and the plan set for the unsuspecting bat ponies, and Twilight Sparkle.


	30. Chapter 30

"Everypony that was able to attend here? Good, let's begin," Mist Hoof announced to the other bat ponies that were gathered around the polished table in the parlor room, a small group of the adults from the refugee groups. "I know that this isn't how we normally talk about things, so please bear with me on this."

"Um, excuse me," one of the bat ponies said. "Is Princess Ruby going to attend?"

"No, she is not," Mist Hoof answered.

"Is something wrong with her?" another asked.

"I don't think so. But to get to the point of this meeting, I've called you all here because I am worried about our Princess," Mist Hoof said while giving a stern look about the room. "I'm sure all of you have already heard about her outing last night?" Each pony in the room nodded their head or gave agreeing 'hmhms'.

"And I'm sure it is just as concerning for you all as it was for me that she insisted to go out on her own. It is each of our jobs to protect the princess, even at the cost of our lives," Mist Hoof said in a grave tone. "Which means it is unacceptable from now on for her to be outside of our watch. I'm not sure how many of you were aware of the details when she visited the city, but her return was more than worrisome."

"What happened?" one of them asked.

"Ruby had landed onto the balcony just minutes before sunrise, and there was not a piece of the disguise she wore on her. When I asked her what had happened, she refused to answer any questions and retired to her room."

"What do you supposed happened while she was gone?" another one asked.

"I haven't the faintest clue," Mist Hoof sighed. "It is unlike her to remain so distant. I can't imagine why she would be holding back what occurred during her outing. But whatever it is, it can't be good to have put our princess in such a sour and distant mood."

The room was silent as each pony thought of their own scenarios on what could have happened. "But I did not gather all of you here to discuss what may have occurred last night," Mist Hoof said, before lowering his head to give a stern glare at them all. "We are here now so we can prevent it from happening again."

"What do you have in mind?" Lily Wing asked.

"If Ruby choses to go out again, and I have a gut feeling she will," Mist Hoof answered, "she will most likely demand that none of us follows her like last night. But it will be an order we will not obey."

"You want her tailed?" she asked.

"Yes, that is exactly what I am saying," Mist Hoof said while straightening his form. "I know that might be a difficult task in a place like this, and perhaps even harder to keep her unaware of it, but we must do everything we can. We simply cannot risk any harm coming to her." The bat ponies looked around to see the reaction of the others, unsure of the notion of following their princess against her wishes. "Besides," Mist Hoof said with a sly grin. "We are bat ponies after all, descendants of the vamponies. It would be disgraceful if we cannot even track a single pony while remaining concealed."

"Who do you have in mind?" one of the ponies asked.

"For now, only a few stand out as capable for this," Mist Hoof said. "Myself, Cloud Shadow, Willow Shade, Ember Mane, and of course, Ebon Wing."

Each pony he named off immediately sat upright in their chairs and put forth determined faces at being selected. The only exception was Ebon Wing who was not present in the room. Mist Hoof had gathered only some of the adults, choosing to keep this task amongst those he felt would not have qualm against disobeying their princess for her safety. "Do you three feel up to it?" Mist Hoof asked.

Cloud Shadow and Willow Shade both smirked at each other from across the table, ready to once again put to the test their stalking abilities against each other. The rest of them had no issues with who Mist Hoof had picked, and knew full well the terror the two mares could cause when they were competing against each other. Ember Mane on the other hoof, a quiet and couth stallion, merely nodded his head.

"Good. The rest of you will join this operation at a later time when your own skills have improved further."

"Um, excuse me," a mare spoke up.

"Yes, Star Mane?"

Star Mane had her hooves between her legs and rubbed them anxiously against each other. "It's just… well… this is starting to sound like something the Royal Guard would be doing…" She timidly looked up to the rest of them. "W-weren't we doing this so we could live our own lives? Away from something like how we grew up?"

"Star Mane," Mist Hoof began, "this is so we _can_ live our lives. You know full well what you agreed to when you left Dusk Town. And for now, we should be considered a militia for all intents and purposes, as well as a Royal Guard of our own for Princess Ruby and Lord Night Walker."

Star Mane lowered her gaze and sunk back in her chair after he had finished. Mist Hoof eyed her for a moment briefly wondering if it had been a good idea to have the easy going mare attend the meeting. He believed in her and her potential, but she oftentimes had trouble keeping her head out of the clouds and talking about the calm life she always wanted. Her will to achieve that kind of life was apparent for having come this far, but she had a knack for questioning things she didn't agree with, albeit normally in a timid way. _I'll see if I can get Lily Wing to talk to her later,_ Mist Hoof thought.

It was then that a sudden knock was heard at the door, and the room became deathly quiet. Each pony turned their heads towards the hallway door, then back at Mist Hoof.

Mist Hoof recoiled in surprise, then shot a cold glare at each of them for silently electing him to be the one to answer. With a grunt, he coughed into his hoof to clear his apprehension, before calling out, "Who is it?"

"Silver Platter, sir," a muffled voice answered. "A letter has arrived for Princess Ruby, and as you requested, I have it here for you."

"Night Walker!" Mist Hoof exclaimed. "I'll be right there!"

Hurriedly, Might Hoof trotted to the door and found Silver Platter on the other side, his white colored magic holding an envelope. "Here you are, sir. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"No, this is enough, thank you," Mist Hoof replied as the envelope was set into his outstretched hoof, after which Silver Platter gave a small bow before departing. Normally having a pony act so subservient to Mist Hoof or any of the other bat ponies caused quite a bit of discomfort considering their upbringing. But holding the letter that he assumed was from Night Walker dashed all thoughts of unease regarding Silver Platter.

"Well, are you going to open it?" one of them asked when Mist Hoof had yet to move after receiving the letter, snapping him from his thoughts.

"No, it is addressed to Ruby," he said after a moment.

"But what about protecting her?"

"We will continue to watch over her as discussed," Mist Hoof replied while turning to face them. "But it is not our place to read whatever Night Walker had sent her. I'm sure she will tell us what it says after she has read it. Hopefully it has information on the other two groups."

The room broke into soft murmurs of what could be included in the letter, and of their thoughts on how the others were doing.

"I'm going to run this over to Ruby," Mist Hoof announced. "The meeting is adjourned for now; I'll stop by and inform you as things progress. And somepony find Ebon Wing for me and bring him here so I can fill him in. I'll be back shortly."

* * *

Ruby lay on her bed, her tail hanging freely off the edge, and her muzzle buried into the blankets as she glared at the opposing wall. She had been lying like this ever since she woke up, unable to shake off the dark mood of frustration and confusion.

 _They had me… and then, they let me go…_

Her brow furrowed further as she ran last night over and over again.

 _They had me… why did they let me go? Don't they want to capture me? Don't they want to turn me back in to Celestia and Luna?_ It made no sense to Ruby. They were the enemy, most likely agents of Celestia by her guess. They had wielded a strange power that overwhelmed her and allowed them to capture her. They told lies and tried to convince her that Night Walker was the pony she couldn't trust. She didn't believe a word they said for a second.

 _And… they called me their friend…_

Ruby gripped the sheets with her hoof, and a scowl grew across her face. _They dared to say that we were friends!_

Ruby snarled at nothing in particular, baring her fangs as if some invisible threat was before her. _Of all the most ridiculous things I have ever heard, that by far takes the cake!_

Ruby kept her angry demeanor for some moments, before she blinked a few times, and slowly relented as she dug her muzzle back into the blankets. _But the voice came back…_

Narrowing her brows again as she did when reading a difficult passage in a book, Ruby thought over that last detail of the night before. _The voice came back, and said to trust them. The same voice that, from what I've gathered, has so far only appeared to warn me against killing ponies._ She thought over the strange feeling in her chest that had appeared back during her time at the cave. She had no idea what it was at the time, and had dismissed it with little thought. But in light of recent events, she felt confident that it had been the voice the entire time, slowly growing into a pocket of her soul to sustain itself and whatever agenda it was working towards.

Deciding to investigate further, Ruby closed her eyes and summoned her soul sight, focusing inward. She quickly sorted through the sections of her spherical soul and found the sectioned off portion she was looking for. To her surprise, it had more developed than the last time she had viewed it.

Some of the free hanging sections of fiber from before were now attached to various parts of her soul, mainly her emotions.

 _Hello?_ Ruby called out. _Are you there?_

There was no response.

'Hmming' to herself, Ruby began to pay more attention to the fibers themselves, seeing where each connection went, and what might trigger her. Her first impression of the sectioned off soul was that it was primitive, even now only having a few connections. She knew it could speak at times, and it that reflected by the parts of her that it touched. However, it rarely spoke, and appeared to only be activated when certain parts of her emotions were flared. Ruby hardly needed a second thought to imagine what scenarios were required to get it talking. That was, however, not reliable if she wanted to understand it further.

 _I hope I'm not going to regret this…_

Willing her attention forward, Ruby gathered the various fibers that were freely hanging and began to connect them. Like stringing a instrument, Ruby drew them tight to what she instinctively felt were the correct locations, and fastened them.

After triple checking each part was securely attached, she took in a breath of apprehension, and called out. _Hello?_

Ruby not saw, but felt the section within her flicker.

 _Hello?_

 _~H… Hello?~_

 _You answered!_

 _~I did… oh my gosh, I did!~_

A wave of excitement suddenly rushed through Ruby, causing her ears and tail to twitch.

 _~I can talk! I can talk! This is so exciting!~_

Ruby found herself smiling at the joyful sensation flowing through her, unable to help but share in the good feeling. But then shortly caught herself when she realized that it was not her own, and pushed it down as she gathered herself.

 _Yes, I think I made it so you can speak more freely. You were only able to speak when certain conditions were met before, correct?_

 _~Yes, that's right~_ , it answered.

 _Then answer me, what are you?_

 _~Don't you remember what I said on the train? I am a part of you.~_

 _Likely story,_ Ruby thought skeptically. _For all I know the Royal Sisters put you inside me to-_

 _~Wait! I can talk now!~_

 _I… uh, yes… you can…_

 _~Do you know how long I've been waiting to scold you!?~_

Ruby was quiet for some moments before asking in irritation, _Scold me? For what?!_

 _~Don't act like you don't know~,_ it snapped.

Ruby's eyes shifted beneath her lids as she ran over her memory at what might have caused it to become angry with her, and had a very likely idea which instances it was referring to.

 _Stop right there, that's one of them~_ , it spoke.

 _Wait, you can read my mind?_

 _~Well I am apart of you, it's only natural isn't it? You should be able to do the same. But I don't think you gave me enough access to sort through them myself though. Think you can give me a hoof?~_

 _Are you kidding?! You're lucky I even went this far!_

 _~Humpf. Well, now that I can talk freely when you AREN'T about to do something awful, I can finally tell you off for the things you have done.~_

 _They were all in self-defense! Would you have rather had Lunar Pearl or Ebon Wing die?_

 _~Of course not!~_ it replied back.

 _Then what would you have done?_ Ruby snapped.

 _~I...~_ it began to say before trailing off. There some moments of silence that caused Ruby to instinctively twitch her ears as if to hear the inner conversation more clearly. _~I guess… I wouldn't have done it differently…~_

 _That's right and-_ Ruby started before nearly opening her eyes in surprise. _Wait… what did you say?_

 _~I guess… I would have done the same. If there really wasn't any other way… I would have done it too…~_ it worked out slowly.

Ruby was speechless at the admission from it, especially considering up to this point that it had only appeared to argue against the very things it was now agreeing with. Then in Ruby's mind, the sound of weeping was heard.

 _H-hey! What's wrong?_

 _~I… I…~_ it said through sniffles. _~I don't know, it's just everything feels so wrong! I don't know what's happening!~_

Ruby's ears drooped as she listened to it slowly work itself into a small audible crying session, and felt all her anger before fade away as the sadness poured into her.

 _Hey, listen… I'm sorry okay,_ she thought in efforts to console it. _I don't know what's going on either. I'm just trying to figure things out. And on top of recent events, having something like you is making things-_

 _~I'M NOT A THING!~_ the voice screamed.

Ruby reactively flinched at the mental shout, and slowly eased her tense muscles as the crying continued again.

 _Look, I'm sorry,_ Ruby said after some time. _If you are a part of me, then you should know just how confusing all of this has been._

 _~*sniff*… yeah…~_

 _Then how about this,_ Ruby thought in a cheerful tone to help pick her up. _If you can promise me, without a doubt, that the princesses didn't put you in me, then we can try and work together to figures things out._

 _~… really?~_

 _Yes, really._

Ruby's mind became quiet again save for the odd sensation of mentally hearing a pony take a breath, and exhaling slowly, before eventually she spoke, _~The princesses didn't make me, or put me in you.~_

As she answered, Ruby paid strict attention to the sectioned off portion of her soul, watching each fiber and feeling her gut on the matter. But after a minute of careful inspection and gut feeling, Ruby felt confident that what she had said was the truth. And despite her concerns and fears that she may regret it someday, Ruby decided to trust in the voice.

 _Okay, I believe you._

 _~*sniff*… thanks~,_ she thought.

 _And may I ask something?_

 _~Go ahead.~_

 _Why did you breathe? I don't think you need air._

 _~I don't know, I just did it. I think it's just an automatic thing to help.~_

 _Fair enough… I guess._

A silence passed between them as they both thought of what to say next, vaguely feeling each other out in the new bond Ruby had created for them. Ruby had been taken aback at first from her crying to think deeper about the situation, but the quiet moment gave her time to reflect and come back to her startling discovery just before.

 _So you really would have done the same thing?_

 _…yes, I believe so~,_ she said. _~But don't think I would enjoy it like you would!~_

 _Noted, but doesn't that raise some questions?_

 _~Such as?~_

 _Well, you only first appeared when it was against killing, something I still haven't figured out why yet._

 _~Okay~, she said while following along._

 _So why would you be capable of accepting the very thing that allowed you to even communicate lately?_

 _~That… is a very good question.~_

 _Hmmm…_

 _~Wait! I think I know!~_

 _What is it?_

 _~You just gave me more connections to our soul right?~_

 _As of now, still_ my _soul, but yes._

 _~Well, based on what I know of souls, which is exactly what you know, maybe I've grown into something that is capable of more complexity.~_

 _But weren't you plenty complex enough? I mean, you spoke pretty normal back on the train._

 _~Yes, but I was only able to express myself for one topic. Back then I didn't care about anything else. It was like it was the only thing I could focus on. Now though…~_

Ruby felt an odd sensation of a force moving about her, and watched as the sectioned off portion of her soul began to pluck at the various connections it held.

 _~I'm capable of feeling more things now! Oh my gosh! This is so exciting and wonderful!~_

 _Hey, calm down there,_ Ruby thought, feeling somewhat reassured at being able to calm down the areas the voice flickered during her inner search.

 _~There are so many implications to this! I wonder what else we could discover? Maybe Night Walker knows more.~_

 _Night Walker…_ Ruby thought to herself. _Wait a minute, I think I know what you are!_

 _~Really?~]_

 _Yeah, you reminded me of something I saw in him,_ Ruby thought.

 _~Remember it. I don't know exactly what you are talking about unless you imagine it.~_

Ruby squinted her eyes as she dug into her memory and willed the imagery into her mind, a strange sensation that she was not entirely sure she was doing correctly. _There, can you see it?_

 _~Yes, I can~,_ she answered.

The two of them looked over the memory together, feeling each other's vague thoughts and feelings as they analyzed the mental imagery of Night Walker's soul, a collection of varying connections that were haphazardly laid out in intricate yet disorderly ways.

 _~So you think I'm…~_

 _Yes, a split personality._

Ruby had learned from Night Walker that much of what he had done was self-inflicted, the result of him having to take on new personas during his early days of infiltration. In addition to a few other necessary moments he had been reluctant to reveal at the time, Night Walker was capable of creating a new personality that could feel, believe, and behave in just about any manner possible.

 _~So I'm a split personality then...~ she said slowly._

 _That's my guess. Though how you appeared I can't say._

 _~I don't really like it, but… I suppose it makes the most sense given the evidence.~_

 _At least you seem to be reasonable,_ Ruby thought with a smirk. _Although I have to admit, it's going to be weird getting used to having another pair of thoughts going on._

The voice was quiet for a moment, before gushing, _~Oh my gosh, do you know what this means?~_

 _What?_

 _~We can do everything at twice the speed and efficiency!~_

 _You mean…_

 _~Double the attention span, double the processing! Think about all the math we could do! I could handle the subtractions during division while you work out the carrying!~_

 _Think about how fast we could analyze a situation,_ Ruby thought, finding herself hopping aboard the notion eagerly.

 _~Keeping track of the time while we cook!~_

 _Memorizing a series of numbers while prepping for the next part of a problem!_

 _~Reading both pages of a book at once!~_

 _Hello twenty-four hundred words per minute reading comprehension,_ Ruby thought with a smile. The very thought of being able to read a book at that speed if they mastered reading both pages at the same time gave them a shiver of excitement and joy.

Okay, I think I can get used to this. It actually sounds like it would be great having you around-

 _~What is it?~_

 _I just realized, what do we call you?_

 _~I can have a name?~_ she said in disbelief.

 _Well, sure. Like you said, you're not a thing. Even though you speak with my voice, we probably should call you something. But what?_

Another silent moment passed between them, an occurrence that was quickly becoming odd to Ruby now that she was sharing her thoughts the majority of the time.

 _~Can I pick it?~_ she asked timidly.

 _Sure, do you have something in mind?_

 _~Kinda of…~_

 _What is it?_

 _~Can… Can I be called… Twilight?~_

Ruby immediately scowled atop the bed. _You want to be called that!? Why!?_

 _~I don't know~,_ she skyly replied. ~I think it's pretty. And I know you aren't going to use it.~

 _Of course I'm not going to use it. Don't tell me you actually believe those mares!_

 _~I'm not saying I fully trust them.~_

 _Apparently enough at the time!_

 _~Yeah… but I couldn't help it. When you saw them, I suddenly felt myself become more active. More… alive.~_

 _Wait… wait wait wait,_ Ruby thought. _That's right. You showed up even when I wasn't considering killing them!_

Ruby felt an odd shuddering sensation that was not physical. _~Please don't think about that.~_

Ignoring her complaint however, Ruby kept her train of thought. _In fact when I think about it, that's probably when you got those connections I saw when I first look at you today._

 _~What do you think it means?~_ she asked, giving Ruby the sensation of a slight haze at the edge of her attention from trying to work out the problem herself.

 _I don't know, but I suppose one answer is that they are somehow connected to you._ Ruby squinted her eyes as she thought that over. _Which only supports my original theory that the princesses have something to do with you._

 _~Until we figure it out then, are you going to let me stay?~_

 _For now. But if I feel like something is wrong, I won't hesitate cutting off the connections I made for you,_ Ruby threatened.

 _~I suppose I would do the same in your situation~,_ she agreed reluctantly. _~Alright, it's a deal then.~_

Ruby relaxed her scowl, confident she established her dominance in the strange relationship. As interesting and exciting it was of the prospect of having another mind just as capable of hers to work out problems, the knowledge she could cut her off as easily as she made her was the reassurance needed to even continue.

 _~But back to my name, I would still like to be called Twilight.~_

Ruby vocally gave a growl at hearing the name again, feeling as if she had heard it more than enough and was not looking forward at hearing it again. Just even thinking about it made her feel as if she was supporting the delusion the mares that had captured had spouted. Thinking about them again also made her realize she still hadn't decided if she would go back to them or not.

Ruby groaned, but then gave a defeated sighed. _Fine. you can be called Twilight._

 _~Yes!~_ Twilight thought.

Ruby couldn't help herself but allow a slight smirk at the happiness Twilight poured through her over such a simple thing. _We really need to go over your connections sometime. I don't know if I can handle feeling your emotions each time,_ Ruby teased.

Twilight produced the mental image of their body's reflection in a mirror sticking a tongue out at the main one, causing Ruby to chuckle to herself.

 _Okay, I have to admit, that is kinda cool._

In response, Ruby imagined herself making a face at the mirror, which shortly replied with a different kind of face. The two of them giggled for some minutes as they played with their new method of communication in a mental landscape, before a knock at the door interrupted them.

 _~Who do you think it is?~_

 _I don't know. Let's find out._

Propping herself off the bed, Ruby swayed slightly as she refocused her attention back to her physical body, and proceeded to the door. Opening it, she found Mist Hoof standing in front of her with an envelope on his hoof. "It's addressed to you, Ruby," he said. "I think it's from Night Walker."

"Really!?" Ruby exclaimed before grabbing the envelope and ripping it open in one swift motion. She quickly unfolded the paper and began scanning its contents, deciding to forgo the opportunity to dual read at the importance of the letter. After some seconds, Ruby let out a small gasp.

"What is it?" Mist Hoof asked worriedly as he leaned forward, wishing to read the letter himself.

"It's from Night Walker," Ruby said. "He's on his way to Vanhoover." Looking up from the letter, Ruby turned to Mist Hoof with a fearful expression. "Shade Flare's group is missing."


	31. Chapter 31

Blueblood sat in his office chair, carefully examining the hoof-size piece of equipment he held aloft with his magic. He meticulously followed each gear, spring, and copper circuit on the cubelike device, noting how the joints would move when the gemstone that sat at the center of the contraption would activated. Yet, for all its complexity, it was but a small piece that would work in unison with the rest of the devices on his desk. An organized mess of clockwork and gemstones that only he, and the few unicorns that were part of the development team, understood and could work on.

While many thought he was at his best in a sea of sociable ponies that were eager to praise and speak with him—and they would not be wrong at such a guess—he was also able to reach the same level of contentment and joy in working the finer details of his business. Be it attending a ball, or setting a series of circuits together, both were the natural environments that Blueblood thrived in.

However, he never was able to mix the two environments together, and closed his eyes with a calming breath at the disturbance that was making its way to his door.

What had started as a mix of muffled voices, shortly became frustrated hoof stomps, and quickly changed into his office doors being thrown open.

"I apologize, Sir," Silver Platter said calmly, "but I could not convince her to wait for an appointment."

Blueblood opened his eyes and looked to Ruby standing resolutely in his doorway. Her lips were tight, and her eyes focused on him with a furrowed brow. It was a look he had seen many mares give him, unable to stand a moment of his presence any longer. But when it was not for that reason, it usually meant trouble and work on his part, and he could only imagine the demands a vampony princess would make.

"I don't suppose you could come back another time?" Blueblood said in annoyance. "I'm fairly busy at the moment."

"We need to talk," Ruby stated. "There's been a development."

Blueblood's eyebrows rose slightly, and stared closely at Ruby. It was clear she was not going to leave, leaving him only one option to get her out of his office as quickly as possible.

"Silver Platter, some coffee please."

"Yes, Sir," Silver Platter replied dully, then left in a casual pace, respectively closing the doors behind him.

Blueblood carefully set down the device he was working on and sat back in his chair. "What can I do for you?"

"Shade Flare and his group of ponies are missing."

A long silence filled the room as Ruby looked expectantly at Blueblood, waiting for him to jump from his chair or at least widen his eyes in surprise. What she got however, was a slow blink followed by a sigh.

"And?" he asked.

"And what?"

"Is that it?"

"Is that it?" Ruby scoffed. "Ponies are _missing_! Something needs to be done!"

"Such as?"

"Rescue maybe!?" Ruby almost shouted.

Another silence passed through the room.

"I'm having trouble understanding how this has anything to do with me, or why you are even bringing it to my attention."

Ruby's jaw clenched as she grit her teeth. "Listen, you uncaring pompous spoiled child," Ruby growled as she walking firmly to his desk, completely ignoring the open chair in front of it for guests. " _My_ ponies are missing and I am not going to stand around and do nothing about it. I know you have resources and connections, and I want you to use them to help me find out where they've gone!"

By this time, Ruby had placed her hooves on top of his desk, scattering a few pieces of stacked paper onto the floor.

 _~Ruby, I'm just as worried as you are, but I don't think threatening him is going to help.~_

 _Are you saying we should do nothing!?_

 _~No! But acting like this isn't going to provide an answer either,~_ Twilight thought pleadingly. _~I know you're scared and upset, I can_ feel _it.~_

 _I'm not scared,_ Ruby growled.

 _~Yes you are. You're feeling just like that time when we were escaping the cave. When that stallion…~_

Twilight didn't finish, but she didn't need to. Ruby briefly reflected on the memory of the young stallion atop of Ebon Wing, and how she shortly held him in her mouth. Ruby felt the odd shivering sensation Twilight made whenever such thoughts came to mind.

 _~You are scared… and when you are, you deal with it violently. You had almost done the same thing to that mare who cornered us in the alleyway. What was her name again?~_

 _Applejack,_ Ruby thought distastefully.

 _~Yes, Applejack. You almost killed her.~_

 _That's how vamponies deal with things,_ Ruby stated. _If something is threatening us, we make sure it can't do it again. Ever. Or are you really not apart of me?_

 _~No, I am. And I know that's our nature…~_ Twilight thought sadly. _~But it isn't going to help us here. You need to calm down.~_

"Are you alright?" Blueblood asked curiously.

Ruby blinked her eyes, and realized she must have been propping her front hooves on his desk while staring into space for something.

"I… um…" she mumbled while putting her hooves back onto the carpet. Before further embarrassment could mingle with her anger, she raised a hoof to her chest, and slowly exhaled while extending it out.

"I'm fine," Ruby declared after a few moments.

Blueblood continued to look at her warily, not even paying attention if he was setting his papers back to their correct spots as he levitated them from the floor.

A soft knock was heard on the doors, and they swung open as Silver Platter walked towards the desk, pushing a cart with cups.

"Coffee for you, Sir," he said dryly. "And for you, Princess Ruby."

Ruby blinked in surprise as a teacup filled with blood floated just in front of her.

"Oh, uh… thank you," she said in surprise before taking grasp of it with her magic, and idly sitting herself back into the chair in front of the desk.

"That will be all, Silver Platter," Blueblood said before dismissing him with a wave of his hoof, but not without a quick nod of gratefulness for Ruby's cup.

Silver Plater departed, leaving the two of them alone again.

Ruby stared thoughtfully into her cup, letting its scent take her mind away into a gentle bliss. Even though she had drunk a large amount the night after her exhausting trip from the city, the familiar and sweet call of blood never failed to make her hungry.

 _~I know we're a vampony, but how can that stuff make you feel like this?~_

 _Are you kidding? How can you_ not _enjoy this?_

 _~It does smell good...~_ Twilight thought slowly. _~But that doesn't mean it's something I'd personally like.~_

 _How aware have you been whenever I drank?_

 _~If you're asking what I think of its taste, I'm sorry to say I was usually more focused on the other and less appealing things at the moment,~_ Twilight replied in a testy tone.

Ruby smirked mentally, then raised the cup to her lips. _Well then, get ready for a world of deliciousness._

 _~Oh dear.~_

Ruby slowly sipped from the cup, which began as one gulp, that turned into two, then three, and continued on until there was not a single drop left.

 _~Sweet Equestria…~_

Ruby let out a happy sigh and giggled slightly, ignoring the increasing look of concern from Blueblood.

 _What did you think?_

 _~It's… It's… so wrong, but so good!~_ Twilight moaned in joy. _~I shouldn't like this, but that taste… I… I don't think I can get enough! Why didn't I know how wonderful this tasted?~_

Ruby did her best to suppress the wave of emotion Twilight emanated within her, fondly reflecting her own feel-good mood when she had her first drink from the bowl in the forest clearing. For her, it was like being able to experience something tasty for the first time again.

 _Now do you feel better about being a vampony?_

 _~I still don't want to kill, but I would do just about anything else to taste it again,~_ Twilight thought, still buzzed by the flavor. If she was in control of the body, Ruby suspected she would have begun to drool in the happy memory of how the blood tasted.

Still giggling at Twilight's response, Ruby shifted her due focus to Blueblood. Had a grin not send the already wary and nervous unicorn into a even more perplexed state, Ruby would have laughed at how uneasy he looked.

"Sorry about that," Ruby said in a relaxed voice. "Now, back to business."

"Yes… back to the matter at hoof…" Blueblood said while repositioning himself in his chair.

"What can you do to help me?"

"Though I understand how important this is for you," Blueblood began, taking extra care to not voice his personal opinion on the matter any further, "I unfortunately have little to offer for a solution."

Ruby's good mood fell as she fixed an intense glare at him.

"What I mean is," Blueblood added quickly but still remaining collected, "there is nothing in my resources that could help you on the kind of search you want to happen."

"Really? Nothing at all?" Ruby asked skeptically. "I thought you were a Prince, a pony who can do many things."

"While I'll always accept it, flattery and mockery will not get you anything from me," Blueblood said. "I don't know what kind of notion you have of me, but just because I own a capable business and am at the forefront of tomorrow's market doesn't not mean I don't have my limits. Do you really think a team of train conductors and engineers could enact a secret mission to find out where your ponies have gone?"

Ruby wanted to argue against him, but found nothing coming to her mind. She floated her cup down to an empty space on his desk, and frowned at the floor. As much as she hated it, he was right, and she began to wonder if there was anything she could do at all.

While Ruby searched the floor for an answer, Blueblood shifted his eyes to a nearby clock, and mentally grunted in annoyance at the time.

With a gulp, he decided to risk her fluctuating mood. "Now, unless if you have an idea on something I can actually assist you with, I would be… _grateful_ , if you would leave me to my work."

Ruby sighed. "I'm sorry, I probably shouldn't have just barged in without a plan…"

"Don't worry, it's perfectly alright," Blueblood said while leaning back expectantly.

"I suppose I should first come up with at least a few scenarios and contingency plans…"

"Of course."

"And to be honest, I still don't even fully know what you even have at disposal. I guess I should have figured that out first…"

"It's quite alright," Blueblood said while shifting his eyes from her to the door.

"And you're sure you have nothing that could help?"

"Quite."

"Then… that'll be all, I guess."

Much to Blueblood's relief, Ruby finally lifted herself from the seat and made her way to the door.

 _~I don't suppose we could hang around for a minute? Those thing's on his desk looked interesting. From what I could tell, it looks like he's trying to combine perpetually charged gemstones with automatic gear suppression with copper wires as the transfer line.~_

 _Not now, we've got more important things. And besides, I doubt he's figured out how to prevent mana leaking from a unsealed environment. It's one thing to make a self-driving carriage, it's entirely another for… whatever he's making._

 _~There it is again.~_

 _What?_

 _~Something else that just popped into our minds without us knowing what it was before.~_

 _You do remember when I read those technical manuals in his library right? And as far as things are concerned, it's still_ my _mind._

Twilight grunted in reply. _~Still, I'm pretty sure your knowledge of dynamically based mana storage and it's underlying theories didn't come from those manuals.~_

 _Yeah… you're right. Do you think-_

Ruby continued down the hall, completely oblivious at having left Blueblood's office doors completely wide open. With a 'tsk' of irritation, Blueblood shut the doors and swiveled himself to face the balcony door behind him. As if fate had been orchestrating his evening, a griffin happened to land only moments later onto the balcony.

He tapped his hoof impatiently as the griffin emerged from the dark balcony and stepped into the light, carefully opening the glass door between the two with her claw.

"You are very lucky that I am tolerating your lateness tonight," Blueblood said.

"It's not my fault if these things are so heavy," Gilda replied in annoyance.

"Be happy you're carrying mobile prototypes. Do you have all of them?"

"Yeah, yeah, they're all here." Gilda unceremoniously slung the satchel from her chest and hung it out in front of him.

The moment Blueblood took a hold of it, Gilda stretched her wings and walked past his desk. "Let me guess, I'm sleeping in the spare bedroom by the fireplace again?"

"You should feel honored," Blueblood said as he inspected the wrapped contents in the satchel, and depositing various pieces of metal and trinkets into neat piles. "Normally I wouldn't allow anypony to use my private office bedroom."

"No offense, but I'd rather sleep in those cushy rooms you got downstairs. Maybe even the one closest to the bar?" Gilda asked hopefully.

"The rest of the penthouse is still closed," Blueblood simply said.

Gilda gave a huff and rolled her eyes. "Whatever… I'm going to bed."

As she was turning away, a faint scent trailed across her beak, and she looked back in annoyance.

"Don't tell me I have to share a bed with one of those guys."

"What do you mean?" Blueblood said without lifting his eyes as he measured two pieces against each other.

"The other griffin shippers? I swear by the seasons, if it's Fen I'm kicking him out onto the balcony."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Blueblood said, his voice growing more irritable by the second.

"Wait, so I'm the only griffin here?"

" _Yes_ you are. Is there something strange about that?

Gilda flashed him a glare, before ruffling her feathers. "I swear, if I find him in there hogging the entire thing…"

"As much as I find Griffin-mannerism refreshing, can you just leave me alone until your next delivery is ready?" Blueblood exclaimed. "How many times do I have to tell you, you are the only griffin here!"

Gilda, initially taken aback, opened her beak to respond, but quickly shut it at the thought of the lashing Feathermane would give her, and decided not to risk her paycheck.

"Nevermind, thought I smelled some blood and figured one of the guys had a meal here or something. Anyways, I'm going to bed."

Gilda headed across the large office and into the private bedroom, oblivious to the fact the Blueblood had frozen in mid place, and was staring at an empty teacup at the edge of his table. He was so locked into his mistake, that he didn't even register her last comment as the door shut.

"And tell your butler to stop waking me up until he's got breakfast ready and hot."

* * *

 _~So what do we do?"~_

 _I don't know, but we need to figure something out._

Ruby was walking absently through the hallways, unable to keep her restless legs still. Worry weighed heavily on her mind, and all possible avenues for a solution were quickly closing as she and Twilight had run over possible scenarios. In the end, they were only left with Ruby going out Vanhoover herself on one of Blueblood's trains, but both were in agreeance that they couldn't leave their group of ponies.

Ever since the cave, Ruby had been on edge and wary of the world. The Royal Sisters' power was all over the land, and she had little doubt it was them that were responsible for the disappearance of the Vanhoover group. There was so much she did not know, and each day of not knowing became more and more dangerous. She need to prepare, she needed to plan, she needed… knowledge.

If she could not directly assist Shade Flare, then she could at least gather what had happened, or begin preparations for her next move. Far to many things had not gone as planned, and with the uncertain horizon that loomed in front of her, she had to brace herself for whatever may bring.

But there was no source to draw upon. Every book she had read in the penthouse had nothing useful, and she doubted she would be able to get the answers she needed from Blueblood. Which left her stuck, and her fears were gnawing at her insides on what might be happening to Shade Flare and the rest at every moment, and what to do with her group.

The blood from Blueblood's office was only a short distraction from the reality of the world, and only served to give her more energy of which she had no target to use it on.

 _~I'm sure Night Walker will be there soon, he said he would take care of it.~_

 _I know, I know, but I still can't help feeling like this. Isn't this bothering you just as much?_

 _~Of course it is, but it isn't going to help if both of us worry like this.~_

 _Well we certainly aren't coming up with any plans!_

 _~And exactly what do you want to do?~_

 _I don't know! Anything!_

 _~Ruby, if there isn't anything we can-~_

 _Don't say that!_

 _~Calm down!~_

Ruby's hoof stamped onto the carpet, and she blinked away a tear she had not be aware of in her eyes. Finding the most of her anxiety dissipating from her confusion, she curiously turned her head down and stared at the hoof.

 _Did you just…?_

 _~I… I think I did...~_

 _"Ruby!"_

 _Hold on,_ Ruby thought quickly, shoving her questions aside before turning around and seeing Mist Hoof trotting up to her.

"What did Blueblood say?"

Ruby read the same level of worry on his face, and sadly shook her head after a few calming breaths. "There isn't anything he can do."

Mist Hoof sighed and let his eyes drift. "Then, we'll just have to hope Night Walker finds them, and soon."

"I'm afraid so," Ruby reluctantly agreed.

Mist Hoof looked thoughtfully into space, then took a breath as he straightened his posture. "I think we need to talk about something, Ruby."

"What is it?"

"Without knowing what has happened to Shade Flare, we need to prepare for the alternative." Mist Hoof looked her in the eye and spoke firmly, "We need to start the transformations."

Ruby's ears faltered as she lowered her head, "Mist Hoof, I still don't think-"

"I know you can do it," he said. He then knelt down, causing her to shift on her hooves even more. "Please, use me as the first test subject."

"Mist Hoof, I am not going to test on you like some guard!" she exclaimed while nudging him back up with a hoof. "We still don't know how Shade Flare reacted to the transformation."

"And we might never know!" Mist Hoof said louder than he intended, but being impolite to his princess was the least of his worries. "Ruby, you already promised me you would use me if it came to it."

"And I said after a week!"

"We may not have that long!"

"There's too many possible complications," Ruby defended firmly, despite her voice cracking now and then. "There's no telling what may happen, or if I am even doing right. The only reason I was able to do it on Shade Flare was because Night Walker was right there!"

"And you're just as good as him," Mist Hoof pressed.

"Are you kidding me? I barely know anything about the soul compared to him! Just because I know how to change a few things, doesn't mean I can shape it like he does. I don't even know if I did mine correctly when-"

Ruby cut herself off, but it was too late.

"When you what?"

Ruby bite her lip as she averted her eyes.

 _~Aren't you going to tell him about me?~_

 _No, I can't._

The visual image of standing front of a mirror appeared in her mind, and her reflection gave her a questioning but worried look.

 _~Why not?~_

But Ruby shook her head, causing the image fade away.

 _Don't do that when I'm talking to somepony!_

"Ruby, what's the matter?" Mist Hoof asked anxiously.

Ruby snapped back to physical world, and shook his hoof from her shoulder. "I just can't! I'm not willing to risk you!" Ruby then turned away and began trotting down the hall. "There's too many answers I still need."

"And where do you think you are going to get them?" Mist Hoof called after her.

"From the only place that might give me them," Ruby mumbled.

* * *

 _ ***Knock Knock Knock***_

The three ponies in the room stiffened at the rasping of a hoof on the door, and warily looked at each other, seeing they all held the same hopeful but also nervous expression.

Without delay, one of them got up and headed to the door, using all of her willpower to not trot at a dead run and throw it open to sweep the knocker in a firm embrace. They couldn't treat her like they used to, not without risking the chance to scare her off or spark her anger. They would have to be patient if they ever wanted a chance to return things back to how they were.

Walking at a steady pace, opening the door normally, and standing still was undoubtedly one of the hardest things Applejack ever had to do. Even with a disguise on, she could immediately recognize who it was at the door.

"Twalight, I'm so glad you came-"

"It's _Ruby_."

"Right… Sorry…" Applejack mumbled, trying her best to keep her smile. "It's just… we're so happy to see you again. Ah was worried you wouldn't come back."

Ruby flared her nostrils in discomfort, and carefully glanced inside, seeing Rarity and Rainbow Dash both giving her nervous but welcoming smiles as well. Ruby didn't give one in return.

"I'm just here to talk, and maybe get some questions answered," Ruby stated loud enough for all three of them to hear.

"O-Of course," Rarity said. "Please, come in. We'll answer any questions you have."

Ruby gave them a skeptical stare, and a cursory glance about the room for any sign of danger, and stepped inside.

* * *

Across the street and atop a roof top, five bat ponies huddled beside the ledge, eyeing the motel complex Ruby had gone into.

"Why is Princess Ruby at a place like this?" Willow Shade whispered.

"I have no idea," Mist Hoof replied, his eyes not having left the building for a moment. "Willow Shade and Cloud Shadow, go to the back of the building and keep an eye on the exits."

"You think's she's going to ditch us?" Cloud Shadow asked.

"No, I don't think she noticed us, but I'm not taking any chances of losing her. Remember, this is as much as tracking her as it is looking out for enemies. If you see a single guard go into that building, let me know."

"Alright, heading out."

The two mares gave each other a friendly hoof shove before darting across the roof top, looking for the darkest street to fly over and work their way to the back of the motel.

"Ember Mane and Ebon Wing, we'll stay right here."

The two stallions gave a silent nod in reply, and reaffixed their eyes to the street below, diligently watching each pony that entered and exited the building.

Everything had gone smoothly since they left the tower, also keeping Ruby within sight as they slinked between the shadows, ducking beneath and behind corners whenever a drunk pegasus haphazardly flew above in vain attempts to find his house.

And now that they had found where Ruby had headed, they need only wait to escort her unknowingly home, after which Mist Hoof would decide to confront her or not on what she was doing.

If only things were that simple, for even as the five bat ponies kept a vigilant watch, thirty other ponies were doing the same exact same thing. And though the two groups had the same target, only one was aware of the other.


	32. Chapter 32

_A friend I had,_  
 _One so dear and kind,_  
 _We always played together,_  
 _Laughing all the time._

 _Then one night came,_  
 _And a dreadful event occured,_  
 _My friend I had known so well,_  
 _Was cursed and could not be cured._

 _He was told by new friends,_  
 _That I was nothing more than food,_  
 _I was told by those still left,_  
 _He was gone and there was nothing I could do._

 _Our worlds may have changed,_  
 _And with it, our roles in life as well,_  
 _But even though we were now different,_  
 _Our friendship would remain, greater than any spell._

Outside, the sounds of the city's nightlife was heard through the closed windows of the motel room, muffled beyond recognition save for the random whooping and hollering of exceptionally loud and intoxicated ponies. But for all the noise of the busy street, a tense and heavy silence filled the second floor room, and it was nearly suffocating for the four ponies that sat on the floor in a circle.

With a hat for concealing her horn set aside, Ruby held herself upright in an authoritative manner, eyeing each of the three mares across from her with a level of scrutiny that caused them to look away whenever their eyes met. She had placed herself closest to the door, and despite her posture, kept her muscles tense in the event she needed to run. The mares had managed to detain her once, and she wasn't going to give them a chance to try it again.

Which is why she glared at them even more so, because for all her impressions and thoughts, they were not behaving at all as she had expected.

Applejack was working her jaw subtly as if searching to find something to say. Rainbow Dash periodically shifted her eyes to random spots on the floor, furrowing them now and then from some internal thought. And Rarity would bite her lip before letting go and repositioning herself, only to bite her lip again moments later.

They were beset with uncertainty, and it bothered Ruby for reasons she couldn't place, for like them, she wasn't quite sure of how to proceed. While she herself had only half a plan in mind for this encounter, she figured Celestia and Luna's agents would have been at least more prepared, or at least not so awkwardly quiet.

After sometime, Applejack finally worked up the courage to go first, and broke the silence with a hesitant voice.

"So, Ruby… how have ya been?"

"Fine," Ruby replied flatly.

"Oh… that's… good," Applejack said as she lowered her ears. She opened her mouth to speak again, but instead closed it and clenched her jaw, letting the room fall back into silence.

Ruby suppressed her irritation enough to only allow a raised eyebrow. "I guess _I_ should start then," Ruby said in distaste. After giving another sweeping glance, only pausing a moment to inspect Rainbow Dash's still glower demeanor, she cleared her throat.

"You said that you were my friends, right?"

" _Are_ your friends, dear," Rarity corrected softly.

"If that's so," Ruby said with a brief glare towards her, "then there shouldn't be any issues in asking you some questions."

"Ask anything you like," Applejack said, and surprisingly to Ruby without a trace of hesitation. "Don't matter what it is, we'll answer."

Ruby eyed Applejack carefully, noting the sudden look of determination in her eyes and the sudden change in her mood, and briefly considered risking a glance into her soul for confirmation that her mood change wasn't a trick.

 _~Well? Aren't you going to ask them about Shade Flare and the rest?~_ Twilight interrupted, causing Ruby to forgo the idea.

 _Why in Equestria would ask that right away?_ Ruby scoffed mentally. _I thought you could read my mind?_

 _~I only know what you are directly focusing on, and so far all you've been doing is glare at them.~_

 _Glad to know you can't read the_ entirety _of my mind. But no, it would be stupid if I asked them right away._

~Why?~

 _It's called gathering intel. I don't know if_ they _know what's happened. And while I figure it out, I can at least try to learn more about them and my imprisonment._

 _~But I thought you were giving them the benefit of the doubt?~_

 _You don't honestly still believe in the friendship charade do you? And please be quiet for a moment, I can't focus on them with you talking._

A small 'humph' rang in Ruby's head as the mental image of Twilight within a mirror crossing her arms, but followed her request and spoke no more.

"First," Ruby began, "I want to know who each of you are."

"Ah'm Applejack," Applejack replied first again. "Ah was born 'n raised on Sweet Apple Acres in Ponyville. Ah buck apples, take care of the farm, and help out ponies where ah can. It's where ah learned everything ah know about life and friends." The determination in her eyes however, fell away as she added softly, "And it's where ah met you."

"Really?" Ruby said with distaste. "Ponyville?"

"That's right."

Ruby gave a sneer. "And just how did I find myself in Ponyville? You know, since I'm a vampony and all?"

"You weren't a vampony back then." Applejack's features became tight as she leaned forward. "That no good Night Walker came into town and turned you into one! And then he stole your memories and took you away from us!"

"How can still believe I would fall for such an obvious lie!?" Ruby suddenly shouted while throwing open her wings, causing all three of them to flinch back. "I don't know what your game is, but I'm getting tired of it."

"But it's tha truth!" Applejack protested.

"No, it isn't," Ruby growled.

"Sugarcube, listen-"

"Don't call me that!" Ruby shouted again.

Then, the sound of a hoof being slammed onto the floorboards rang throughout the room, and everypony turned their heads towards Rainbow Dash.

"I can't do this…" Rainbow Dash muttered angrily.

Before anyone could reply, Rainbow Dash stood up; her wings were bristling in irritation. Immediately, Ruby lowered her head and glared darkly at her, alighting her horn in preparation for confrontation.

"You want a go at me again?" Ruby growled. Her words caused Rainbow Dash to bristle even more than she already was.

"Rainbow, dear…" Rarity cooed cautiously. "Please sit down. We don't want to do any rash right-"

"I CAN'T DO THIS!" Rainbow Dash screamed.

Ruby flared her horn, readying herself to magically grab ahold of Rainbow Dash and slam her promptly into the ceiling. But instead of lunging, Rainbow Dash simply lifted her head, and looked directly at her, causing Ruby to pause.

If it wasn't for how her teeth were clenched so tightly, or the wetness that had built on her cheeks, it was Rainbow Dash's eyes that disarmed Ruby the most. Upon seeing the look on her face, Ruby lost all focus on her magic, letting it flow away harmlessly, and stared slack jawed in disbelief at the pain in Rainbow Dash's eyes.

With a harsh wheeze that could have been either a grunt or a sob, Rainbow Dash turned around, and stormed towards the window.

"Rainbow Dash, wait!" Rarity said while reaching a hoof towards her.

But Rainbow Dash did not reply, and threw the window open, and left leaving nothing but a fading trail of colors that matched the neon lights of the city.

The remaining three of them stared at the open window, dimly aware of the increased volume now pouring in from the street outside. Rarity sighed and turned her head back to Ruby, Applejack gave a solemn look to somewhere distant, and Ruby stared wide-eyed at the window.

 _~She looked hurt...~_

Ruby didn't comment, but didn't need to as Twilight played the scene again in her mind.

 _~That look she had… her pain... it's almost like the bat ponies…~_

Ruby gulped as she recollected herself. _No... she isn't anything like them. And don't let them fool you, this is all an act, remember?_

 _~You saw how she was. There's no way that could be fake.~_ Twilight's thoughts ran over the image over and over again, sending a wave of heartbreak from Twilight through Ruby that caused her to shiver. _~I think we should go after her.~_

 _Stop it! It's a bluff. It has to be,_ Ruby commanded. But whether it was to convince Twilight, or to convince herself, she couldn't tell.

"Ruby, are you alright?" Rarity asked again.

"Huh?" Ruby replied as she looked towards her, realising then that Rarity had been speaking to her during her inner-conversation. Ruby's astonished look quickly fell, and she returned a skeptical glare. "I'm fine."

Rarity gave her a quick once over with her eyes, and continued. "I was just saying that I'm sorry for Rainbow's behavior."

"Why should you be?"

"Well, it's just…"

"Just what?" Ruby said with a scowl.

Rarity was quiet for a moment in thought. "It's just… we weren't expecting things to go like this."

"Celestia and Luna's finest can't handle unexpected developments?"

Rarity pursed her lips. "We are _not_ guards."

"Of course you are," Ruby sneered. "Or something similar. Why else would that pegasus get angry? It's because I'm right in front of you and there's nothing you can do capture me."

"That isn't why Rainbow's bothered, Ruby," Applejack said, and with a more patient tone than Ruby would have expected.

Ruby turned to her malice towards her. "Then why _is_ she bothered?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Applejack said.

"No, it isn't," Ruby replied, and glared at her menacingly.

But for all of Ruby's will, Applejack didn't even wince at the stare. "She's worried about you, and there's nothing she can do 'ta help right now."

"Why in Equestria would she be worried about me? Wait, don't answer, it's because you're my _friends_ , right?" Ruby said as they opened their mouths to respond. "What kind of friend runs away like that then? Huh?"

"One who is very distraught and cannot help herself feel powerless in this situation," Rarity answered sternly. "Ruby, you may not remember, but Rainbow Dash holds the element of Loyalty inside of her. Her connection to her friends means the world to her even if it isn't always apparent. She has always been by our side in the toughest of times, and is willing to go to any length to ensure she takes care of others."

Rarity's features soften, and her voice became more soothing. "But right now, one of her friends is being unknowingly hurt, and there isn't anything she can do about it. There's nothing to latch her hooves onto, or a place for her to fly towards. I believe she left because she thought she would cause trouble if she stayed, and didn't want you to leave us again. She's only feeling what we all have felt."

"...Why?" Ruby whispered.

"Why what?" Rarity replied.

Ruby tilted her chin down as she looked at them with more uncertainty than malice. "Why are you still doing this? Why… Why are you still trying to convince me you're my…"

"Friends?" Applejack finished for her. When Ruby turned her head towards her, she saw her flashing an impossibly compassionate and warm smile. "Because we're your friends. Always have been, and always will be."

Ruby started hesitantly into her eyes, then to Rarity's, and finally, to the open window Rainbow Dash had flown from. Then… something inside of Ruby stirred; a sensation that she couldn't quite identify.

 _~Ruby, I think… I think we should listen to them. They might be telling the truth.~_

 _No, they can't be. It's impossible, Ruby replied hesitantly back._

 _~You saw how Rainbow Dash acted, and they aren't trying to hurt you.~_

 _No! They captured me! The took away my magic and made me a prisoner!_

 _~They let you go.~_

 _They're lying and I know it! I'll even prove it!_

At once Ruby closed her eyes, bringing a frown to Applejack and Rarity.

"Ruby? Are you alright?" Rarity asked in concern.

"Be quiet for just a moment, I'm thinking," Ruby replied harshly. She imagined that Rarity might have pursed her lips at her again, but shoved the thought aside.

 _They're lying, they have to be!_

Ruby leaned her head towards Applejack first as inconspicuous as possible, bringing into sight her luminescent soul.

Ruby's heart beat loudly in her ears as moments passed.

 _~See? I told you.~_

Without care of subtlety, Ruby swung her head to Rarity, and desperately searched inside her soul as well.

 _It… it has to be a trick! Celestia and Luna must have done something to them!_

 _~Ruby, you know the princesses don't have that power. Night Walker said so.~_

 _He must have been wrong then! They learned some ability without him knowing!_

 _~Ruby, please listen!~_

 _Or they're sick! Sick and warped beyond reason! They think they have the best intentions for me, but they're really just demented!_

 _~Ruby, calm down! It's starting to become overwhelming!~_

"Ruby," Applejack said loudly. "What's wrong?!"

Ruby snapped her eyes opened, and she look frantically about the room with rapid breaths. At first she was confused as to why everything had moved, but then realized she was standing up. Rarity and Applejack were standing as well, and were looking at her with nervous expressions.

"Are you alright?" Applejack asked tentatively.

Ruby didn't reply, especially considering the Applejack's words were muffled beneath a sudden ringing sound filling her ears, along with the quickening beat of her heart that was now louder than the music outside. Ruby's eyes dashed back and forth between the two as he breathing became erratic, and reactively took a step backwards.

"Ruby, what's wrong!?" Rarity asked.

Then, something snapped within Ruby, and it was all she could take anymore on the matter.

Without another word, or even consideration for the remnants of her disguise, Ruby spun around and bolted for the door. She threw it magically open with enough force for the handle to indent into the wall, and galloped down the hallway with all her speed.

"Ruby!"

The rapid thump of Ruby's hooves through the building caused motel guests to poke their heads out in the hallways in curiosity or irritation, only to wonder briefly what had ran by before the blurs of Applejack and Rarity passed them by.

 _~Ruby, stop! You going straight for the-~_

Twilight's warning abruptly ended with a mental wince as Ruby lept through the air, and through the large window. Shielding herself with magic, she scattered the falling shards away from her and opened her wings for flight.

Groaning in effort, Ruby flapped to gain altitude, to escape whatever sensation that was plaguing her. But the ringing only grew, and it began to invade her mind and muscles along as her vision blurred, and vertigo overtook her. Bringing her hooves to her head, Ruby's wing flaps became erratic.

She was only only dimly aware of the ground being a few feet in front of her before she gasped and flung herself into a haphazard landing. Breathing heavily, she reached her hooves out on the cold pavement beneath her,

Ruby breathed heavily as she felt the cold pavement beneath her hooves, forcibly trying to blink the world back into focus.

"What's… happening?" She brought her hoof to her head, confused as to why her voice sounded so muffled. "W… What did they do to me?"

Shaking her head to dispel whatever was ailing her, she perked her ears at what she thought was the sound of a pony calling her name. She groggily turned her head towards the source, and blinked her eyes profusely at what she thought was the form of a pony flying towards her.

The first emotion she felt, and was most definitely not hers, was that Rainbow Dash was on her way towards her. But the feeling subsided when the blur turned into two, then three, and suddenly became eight.

"Get away from Princess Ruby right now!"

The familiar sound of one of the bat ponies voice cut through the engulfing sensations, causing a new surge to flow through Ruby's chest that drove away the numbness. With her pupils dilating, the world around her quickly came back into focus, and she let out a gasp when everything was clear again.

She found herself in a open pavement area that was behind the motel, a place that looked to be an open work yard for the warehouse behind her. There were large crates of wrapped supplies, row upon row of covered material larger than her, and lined skeletal forms of hulls in a varying materials and shapes. Even with her vision, it took a few moments to realize with the distant source of light from the motel and other buildings that she was in an airship construction yard, completely separated by a series of fences from the busy nightlife some ways behind her. It was an isolated and quiet place, save for her and the other ponies around her.

She immediately recognized a bat pony she recalled was named Willow Shade standing protectively in front of her, who also happened to be snarling defiantly at a white pegasus that was holding a bloody lip. Around him, were six other pegasi that were beginning to fan out and circle them.

"What's going on!?" Ruby cried as she fell into a crouch besides Willow Shade, glaring at the pegasi closest to her.

"The moment you left the motel, these jerks came flying right to you," Willow Shade replied. "We need to get you out of here, I saw more coming this way!"

In response, the pegasi flared their wings, and a few became airborne so as to block their path.

"Hold them here until the unicorns show up!" one of them barked.

The group's circling closed tighter as Ruby and Willow Shade pressed against each other's back.

"Mist Hoof and the others are on the way," Willow Shade whispered. "But I don't think Cloud Shadow will-"

Before she could finish, a victorious shout rang out, and Ruby and Willow Shade turned their eyes to another distant group of ponies, and spotted the Cloud Shadow's limp body being placed onto their backs to be carried off.

"Cloud Shadow!" Willow Shade cried out while stepping towards her, but the pegasi around them would not have it, and shouted back at her to stay still.

Their attention, however, was quickly drawn to the shouts of Mist Hoof, Ember Mane, and Ebon Wing now flying into the situation. The three bat ponies dove straight through the circling pegasi and protectively surrounded Ruby. Mist Hoof began speaking urgently while issuing orders for them to follow.

But Ruby did not hear a word. Instead, the world around was fading out again, numbing her senses and her awareness of the other ponies nearby. But unlike back in the motel room and during her flight, her thoughts did not become scattered, but rather focused. Her vision narrowed until the unconscious body of Cloud Shadow and the ponies around her were the only things she saw, and it sparked a fury that tore through her like an inferno.

Before another thought could cross her mind, Ruby leapt over the bat ponies and charged the pegasi barring her way, letting loose a fierce snarl that caused their bravado falter the few seconds she needed to barrel through. The bat ponies behind her shouted after, but she did not slow, or pay them any heed.

Ruby dashed across the dark ground of the yard, closing the distance between her and the fleeing group of ponies before they even reached the nearest entrance. It was only when their brethren's shouts of alarm did not cease did they look back, and saw too late the leaping form of Ruby descending upon them with glistening fangs.

Ruby dove into the middle of them, and sank her fangs directly into the neck of the first pony she could get her hooves on. Even as she tightened her bite to crush the pony's neck, her eyes were already picking out the next target, failing to miss the look of fear and surprise in their eyes.

Before they could regain their postures, she magically grabbed a hold of another one, and swung his body like a batter would, knocking each pony hard enough to send them off their hooves. Then, after depositing her _club_ and mouthful of stallion, she delicately grasped Cloud Shadow in her magic while simultaneously throwing a hoof into the face of the pony carrying her. Cloud Shadow remained in the air as the pony who had been holding her fell to the ground, then drifted into Ruby's awaiting arms where they held her tightly.

Ruby gave a brief glance about her to ensure none of the groaning ponies were able to get back on their hooves just yet, then gave Cloud Shadow a once over. She was unconscious, and save for the developing bruise on her cheek, appeared fine overall. A sigh of relief escaped Ruby's lips, but she had no time to spare for further checking as more shouts played across the yard. She saw the approaching forms of more pegasi in the sky, as well as the bodies of earth ponies lead by glowing unicorns through the distant chain link fence.

Ruby curled her lips back and felt another rush of energy course through her as she saw them begin to spill out from the entrance, and twitched her wings from the urge to propel herself directly at them. But for all her fury and desires, the weight of Cloud Shadow in her arms held her in restraint

With a snarl, Ruby magically slung Cloud Shadow onto her back while also securing her, and with a quick once over and a brief glare to her would be captors, she sped back towards Mist Hoof and the others.

The pegasi that had originally circled them gave a double take at Ruby's approach, and parted for her lest they be the next to fall under her wrath like the others. But even as Ruby skidded to the bat ponies sides, the large group of ponies arrived, and were already spreading out to surround them.

"Willow Shade, take her!" Ruby ordered as she magically lifted Cloud Shadow off her back and into Willow Shade's eager arms. Willow Shade pulled her tightly and ran over her face.

"Cloud Shadow, wake up! Please!"

"She's alright, Willow Shade," Ruby said as she glared at the circling ponies. "She's just unconscious."

"This is bad, Ruby" Mist Hoof whispered.

"No kidding," she replied.

A tense silence filled the yard as the two groups stared off against each other. Ruby and the others drew closer around Cloud Shadow and Willow Shade, only stopping when their rear hooves brushed against each other. In response, the surrounding ponies tightened the circle, all maintaining an orderly fashion about their behavior. But despite the aggressive posture in their stances, two details were immediately apparent to Ruby. The first being that though their acted in a military fashion, none of them were wearing armor, and the second was that their supposed bravado was lacking in the eyes in more than a few. Some of them appeared even hesitant as they closed the circle, bringing questions to Ruby's mind that had no time to consider them.

Even if she did, her thoughts would have most certainly been knocked aside at the sudden appearance of Rarity and Applejack trotting into the yard.

"Ruby!" they both shouted in unison.

Every head immediately turned towards them, causing Rarity and Applejack to skid to a halt at the sudden attention of everypony. An awkward moment of silence passed between them all as the ponies hesitantly glanced back and forth between each other, the bat ponies looking for a opening to escape to, and Ruby furrowing her eyes in new rage at the two mares entrance.

"What's going on here?" Applejack said as she suspiciously eyed them all. "Who are yall and why are you surrounding Ruby?"

"How long are you going to keep this farce up?" Ruby growled in a low tone, drawing the attention of everypony. The attacking ponies immediately postured themselves into a defensive stance, and the unicorns began to light their horns. "You're still trying to pretend to be my 'friends', even when your soldiers are right in front of me!?"

"Ruby, I swear, we have no idea who-"

"STOP LYING TO ME!"

Applejack, and many of the ponies flinched at her shout that exceeded any normal ponies voice; only a few of them held their positions without a single twitch.

"Trusting you was a mistake," Ruby said venomously. Shifting herself, she felt her hind leg brushed against Cloud Shadow's unconscious form, causing her teeth to grate in fury. "I don't know what magic you have that makes it so I can't kill you," Ruby hissed at Rarity and Applejack. Letting magic pool in her horn, she revealed her fangs and cast her crimson eyes that were now fine points across the ponies around them, causing them some to shirk back. "But that doesn't mean I can't kill the rest of these ponies."

The clopping of over two dozen ponies preparing themselves echoed across the yard.

"Ruby, please…" Rarity said as calmly as she could. "No pony needs to be hurt... "

When Ruby did not respond, Rarity gulped and reached a hoof towards one of the ponies. "Please… I don't know who you are, but let them go. There's no reason we should fight."

One of the ponies—a stallion—turned his head towards Rarity, and gave a quick once over with a flat expression. Rarity eyes and his eyes remained locked for a moment as she silently pleaded with him. But for all her hope, he merely gave a dissatisfied snort, and turned back to Ruby, and spoke with a gruff voice, "You of all ponies should have reason to fight, just like us."

Rarity blinked in confusion, and opened her mouth to ask what he had meant. But in slow realization, she saw a trait that was similar across all of the ponies, and naturally, herself as well. It was such a simple thing, and yet it raised a level of confusion and yearning within Rarity in a way she had never known. For once in her life, Rarity was surrounded by ponies who all shared coats of white, and manes with varying shades of blues and purples.

Turning her eyes back to Ruby, she saw in fleeting hope that Ruby had caught onto the realization as well, only to serve to darkened her already furious mood.

"Ruby… I… I'm not-" Rarity stammered, but was cut off by the stallion who had spoken to her.

"ENOUGH! FOR THE LIVING!"

And with that, the surrounding groups charged towards Ruby and the bat ponies.


	33. Chapter 33

_Have you seen her, my darling?_  
 _Have you heard of her plight?_  
 _I'm searching, and wandering,_  
 _I must find her tonight._

 _She's lost and alone,_  
 _And hurt beyond pain,_  
 _I fear for her safety,_  
 _Can you not say the same?_

 _Please help me,_  
 _Answer my plea,_  
 _I must find her, my darling,_  
 _She'll be safe with me._

 _-Sunsky, the Wanderer_

It was an almost clear night as a few stray clouds drifted over the sky. The city's lights dazzled like the stars above, and the wind held a slight chill that would cause all but a pegasus to shiver slightly. The scent of cut wood and stained metal wafted on the breeze, the remnants of a day's construction and hoof work. The smells emanated from the various buildings and pallets of supplies within the concrete yard, appearing as dark shapes that formed a maze of materials. It was after all, a construction site for airships, and it held a vast amount of materials.

In one moment, the entire world was clear for Ruby. From the twinkling stars and the moon, down to earthy smell of metal and woodcraft. All of it was clear to her, even the faces of the surrounding ponies charging towards her. But as they closed in, her awareness of the world faded, leaving only a deep thirst within her, and a rivaling sense of protection for the bat ponies beside her. And tonight, she would act on both.

With instinctual speed, Ruby casted a teleport spell over her and the bat ponies, bringing them to another point in the yard behind crates and skeletal frames of hulls.

"Get Cloud Shadow into cover!" Ruby immediately ordered. "They'll have seen my flash and be on their way over to this spot!"

"R-Ruby!" Mist Hoof said as he blinked the effects of his first teleportation away. "We should run while we can!"

"I can't teleport all of us back to the tower, and they'll catch us if we try to carry Willow Shade while she's still unconscious." The shouts of ponies and unicorn light drawing closer through the stacked supplies drew Ruby's ears. "Until they back off, or there are no more left, we're going to fight them right here and right now."

"Ruby, I don't-"

"I'm not running, Mist Hoof!" Ruby growled as she whipped her head towards him. He felt a chill pass through him as she narrowed her crimson eyes at him, glaring in a fashion he had never seen directed at him and accented by the glint of the city's lights. She meant for blood, and he doubted he could find a reason within time to convince her otherwise.

"If they want to hunt us down, then they should be taught how it's done," Ruby said darkly. "No more running. No more getting cut down from behind. It's time they became _our_ prey."

Mist Hoof, Ember Mane, Ebon Wing, and Willow Shade stared open mouth at her, unable to believe what she was proposing, but knowing full well that their options were limited.

"Get her out of here!" Ruby shouted again, sending Willow Shade scrambling to grip Cloud Shadow securely before dragging her off into the recesses of the shadows.

"You three, get ready!," Ruby commanded as as she flared her wings in preparation. "It's time to show them what we're capable of."

Mist Hoof opened his mouth to protest again, but the sudden arrival of pegasi above them made him grit his teeth. "Fine then!" he growled before baring his fangs as well. "Let's go!"

Ruby afforded herself a brief glance towards them, letting a proud smirk play across her face as she watched them throw open their leathery wings and shout back towards their attackers. _You better keep yourselves safe,_ she thought as she leapt upwards onto a nearby stack of crates. Without pause, she continued up the stack with zealous speed, before finally reaching the top and kicking herself off, and directly towards a nearby pegasus who spotted her far too late.

 _Because I won't forgive you if you die tonight!_

Snarling furiously, Ruby tackled the pegasus out of the air and dragged him downwards, her fangs clamped onto his neck to ensure that it would be the last fall he would ever have.

" **Go!** " Mist Hoof shouted at Ember Mane and Ebon Wing before he too fluttered on top of nearby crates and darted off in a different direction, all the while daring any 'gutless dogs' to follow him.

Without further words, Ember Mane and Ebon Wing did the same thing, and the hunt within the construction yard began.

* * *

Rarity panted heavily as she ran through the maze of materials, scanning every crevice with her eyes and flicking her ears to each noise that echoed out. It was difficult keeping up with the fight, even more so with just figuring out where it was. Her heart raced within her chest from the physical exertion, but also because of the fears that lay within her. She needed to find Twilight, and save her from this dreadful mess. It was why she was here in the city now, and why she couldn't give up despite the pain beginning to build in her legs. She couldn't give up. Not yet.

"Do you see them, Applejack?" Rarity called out ahead of her, hoping that Applejack was able to spot them from atop a pile of folded tarps.

"Over there! Ah think I see one that'a way!" Applejack shouted with a pointed hoof. "Ah can't tell if it's Twa- WOAH NELLY!" In mid-sentence, a dark shape zoomed over her head, only to be pursued by three pegasi moments later.

"This is crazy!" Applejack shouted as she held onto her hat, trying to follow the figures with her eyes. Apart from the fact that both bat ponies and normal ponies blended into the night, the search beams of unicorns shining in every direction in search of targets made it dizzying to sort out anything in the confusion.

"We need to find Twalight and get her out of here!" Applejack said as she leapt down to Rarity's side.

Rarity opened her mouth to agree, but the blood curdling scream of a pony sounded out through the yard, only to be abruptly cut off in an unsettlingly way held her speechless. Moments later the shouts of ponies converging on the far off position was heard.

Rarity shivered from an uneasy feeling passing through her, and turned back to Applejack. "We've got to figure out something before things get worse than they already are." A sudden motion some distance behind Applejack caught Rarity's eye, and she spotted the darting form of the stallion. It was brief, but she believed it had been the stallion who had spoken to her previously that had started the entire mess.

"And I think I know just the pony to help us figure it out," Rarity said firmly. "Let's go!"

With Applejack behind, Rarity galloped down the path she saw the stallion had gone through. Around corners and through open holes between stacks of metal, they ran onward, somehow managing to keep the tail of the stallion within sight. And between their own pulsing hearts and clopping hooves, they guessed they were drawing closer to where most of the fighting was as its noise grew closer. As if to confirm their guess, another shape flew over their heads, narrowly avoiding a beam of light that attempted to reveal it.

After rounding another corner, Rarity and Applejack skidded to a halt at the sight of the stallion standing in still in the middle of a small open area. In reply to their arrival, he gave them a quick glance, then dismissively turned his head back forward.

While huffing and wiping away bead of sweat, Rarity suspiciously eyed the stallion as she slowly approached. "Do you *huff* have any idea what you've done?"

"I'd leave if I were you," the stallion replied, his head still facing facing forward as if waiting for something.

"I think not!" Rarity replied.

"Why are ya attacking Twalight and the bat ponies?" Applejack asked in demand. "Who are ya'll?"

"I don't want to hurt the Elements of Harmony," the stallion replied. "So for your own sake, leave this matter to us."

"We are most certainly not leaving, not until we get some answers or until you cease this pointless fighting!" Rarity firmly stated. "If you keep this up, some pony could get hurt, or…"

"Or what?" the stallion asked, turning his gaze back to them.

Rarity's face tightened as she stared back at him. Even with her frantic breathing she tried to control, her mind wandered to memories before tonight. She knew full well of the report in the forest, of the casualties for both the guard and the bat ponies. She and the rest of the girls were fully aware of how dire the situation was, and how carefully they needed to tread. It wasn't like the other awful times they've faced, and she constantly told herself thus.

But for all her preparation, for all her nights awake thinking what she was going to do about Twilight and how she would get her back home, she still could not bring herself to say _that_ word.

"Or _this_ will happen!?" the stallion suddenly shouted, bathing himself in horn light, a detail they had failed to notice in the dark. As he showed them his face, so too did he shine over the lump on the ground he was standing in front of.

With a silent gasp, Rarity and Applejack stared in disbelief at the body of a pony lying atop a pool of blood; far too much blood.

"This is what our _Princess_ has become!"

"No, it may not have been her," Rarity retorted, but with great difficulty as a wetness formed in her eyes.

"I saw her with my own eyes in the forest when we first found her! She's a monster now!" the stallion shouted. "She's no longer our Princess, no longer among the living!"

Applejack and Rarity clenched their jaws as they tried to not listen to him, but were unable to tear their eyes away from the body at his hooves. They knew things might have gone this way, and refused with all their strength to hope that it wouldn't come to this. They hoped that things would work out as they always have; without tragedy, and without death.

It was only then that their fear of how far Twilight had been taken from them truly began to set in.

"She and the others of her kind need to be dealt with!" the stallion continued on. "For the safety of all of us!" With a sudden motion, he spun his head towards a section of shadows, and magically grabbed ahold of a pony Applejack and Rarity had not been aware of hiding within them.

Shouting in surprise and anger, a batpony with a hint of silver in his coat was unceremoniously dragged out from his spot, and thrown out into the open. Groaning from aches and frustration, he stood onto his hooves and faced the stallion with open fangs. "Seems like there are a few of you that are different," he said in a gruff voice.

"You have no idea," the stallion replied as he flared his horn.

Before the batpony could jump away, a magical glow enveloped his neck and thrusted him against a wooden crate. Gasping for air, he futilely ran his hooves over the magic and flapped his wings. But the grasp did not slacken, and held firmly as the stallion closed in on him.

Rarity and Applejack stared, slackjawed, at what was happening before them, unable to process or act on the matter; Rarity even more so.

 _What do we do? He's going to kill him! By Celestia, he's going to kill him! What do we do? What do_ I _do?_

The stallion slammed the batpony's head against the crate, unaware of Rarity approaching them.

 _He's a batpony, he's working for Night Walker! But he's also with Twilight! What do I do? What do I do? Celestia, he's choking him! What do I do!?_

The stallion peered closely at the batpony's face as he tightened his grip, watching as the fight within his captive begin to give away by the second.

Without thought, Rarity's hooves stepped forward, and her horn magically grabbed a nearby pipe resting on the ground. _He's going to die! A pony is about to die!_ She wasn't aware of her actions or approach, even as the pipe lifted above her head. _Somepony needs to do something! I need to do something!_

The batpony's wide eyes slowly turned from the stallion, and fearfully looked upon Rarity and her raised weapon.

 _ **I need to do something!**_

With closed and tearful eyes, Rarity swung her head down, and with it, the pipe onto the unaware stallion. A low thud rang out, and he crumpled onto the ground, dropping the batpony next to him who began gasping for air.

Rarity fearfully peeked out from behind her bangs, and meeped at the sight of the unconscious stallion in front of her. Bringing the pipe in front of her, she stared hard at her weapon, then back to Applejack who was even more stunned than her.

"Rarity…" was all she could say in reply.

The gruff coughing of the batpony caught their attention, and they both turned to face him.

"Well… didn't expect that," he wheezed as he eyed her.

"...Neither did I…" Rarity numbly replied, still working out what she had done.

"So now what? You going to try and finish me off?" the batpony asked, already crouching down in preparation. "I may be old, but I've still got fight in me."

"Oh… Oh! Heavens no!" Rarity said, letting go of the pipe and allowing it to clang onto the ground. "We want all of this to stop! Twilight is in danger!"

"Twilight?" the batpony asked.

"R-Ruby, she means!" Applejack said as she rushed to Rarity's side. "Our friend, Twalight, is Ruby!"

He raised an eyebrow at the two of them.

"What she means is," Rarity said, shaking her head as she began to recollect herself, "Ruby, as you know her, is actually our friend Twilight, a princess of Equestria."

A moment of silence passed between them as they stared back at each other, before the batpony gave them a furrowed look. "Are you sure you didn't hit yourself in the head with that last swing?"

"You've got to listen to us! Twilight is-"

The sudden clamour of crates being smash and metal ringing on top of metal rang out through the yard, drowning out their voices.

When the commotion had cleared, the batpony gave a grunt in frustration and began to turn towards the direction of the sounds. "Thanks for the help, but I've got to get going."

"We'll come with you!" Rarity immediately shouted. "Please, all we want to do is protect Twi-, I mean, Ruby!"

The batpony gave them a wary glance, and opened his mouth to protest further. But another noise of more destruction caused his ears to twitch, and nestled his worries deeper than they already were. Additionally, the appearance of more ponies appearing a ways behind Rarity and Applejack cut his time for contemplation short.

"Fine!" he barked before spinning around. "But don't make me regret trusting you two dames! Keep up!"

Rarity leaned her head back as she scoffed. "Did he just call us…?"

"Now's not tha time!" Applejack interrupted, having noticed the approaching ponies behind them. "Let's go!"

With an eep and fearful leap, Rarity and Applejack hightailed it after the batpony. Rarity only looked back long enough to grab her impromptu weapon, and bring it close to her chest.

"The name's Mist Hoof!" the batpony shouted over his shoulder.

"Applejack!" Applejack replied jovially.

"Rarity!" Rarity screamed as she looked over her shoulder. A pegasus from the group was flying directly toward them, planning on tackling Mist Hoof with his entire body. Unfortunately for him, the haphazard swing of a floating pipe that he narrowly dodged sent him off course, and straight into a pile of thick coiled rope on a pallet.

"You're pretty mean with that pipe!" Mist Hoof said with a laugh.

"I never knew!" Rarity cried in distaste.

* * *

"So let me get this straight," Mist Hoof replied while peering from around a metal girder. "You think our Princess Ruby is actually Twilight, _the_ Princess Twilight, and that Night Walker stole her memories?"

"In a nutshell, yeah," Applejack answered.

The three of them had spent a good few minutes ducking through the yard, hiding whenever a group of ponies came nearby or fighting off the few that did manage to find them. So far, all of their encounters had been quick or avoidable, but weariness was growing on them, and they still had yet to find Ruby, or any other batpony for that matter.

Additionally, as if on cue, the yard suddenly became silent, and the sounds of fighting could no longer be heard. The ponies were still searching, but at a much more cautious pace, and so far without any retaliation from Ruby. Whether that meant she was taking a break, or had been captured, none of them knew. If anything, the silence was becoming nearly as unsettling as the sound of fighting only sometime before.

Mist Hoof craned his neck over their hiding spot and let out a 'tsk' in frustration. "More of them just arrived through the front gate."

"Just who are these ponies?" Applejack asked.

"No idea," Mist Hoof replied. "I don't suppose you have any clue either?"

"I'm afraid not," Rarity answered as she fidgeted with her pipe. "The only ponies who should even be aware of you are some of the guard and the Princesses. But even then, I couldn't imagine who in Equestria would be trying to tackle this problem on their own."

"So… you work with the Princesses then?" Mist Hoof asked as he stepped back down and turned a careful eye towards them.

"Yeah, we are," Applejack said, matching his own gaze with one of her own. "But that doesn't mean we're trying to kill you or nothing. All we want is to get Twalight back."

"Let's say I believe you," Mist Hoof said slowly. "Suppose everything you just told me is true, and that Ruby really is Princess Twilight, and that Night Walker indeed stole her memories. What then?"

"What do you mean?" Rarity asked.

"What would happen then?" Mist Hoof repeated. "Do you expect Ruby will just switch sides and end this fighting?"

"Well I-"

"Or maybe that she would come home and have things go back to normal?"

"Why are you asking this?" Rarity replied as she leaned back. "All we want is for our Twilight to come back."

"And what I'm saying is that maybe she's not Twilight," he said firmly.

"Are ya saying you don't believe us?" Applejack asked.

Mist Hoof looked over Rarity's and Applejack's firm expression, then let out a sigh. "I'm not saying what you've told me isn't true. As far fetched as it sounds, it's crazier to even make something like this up than for it to be true."

"Then you do believe us?"

"I'm not saying that either!" Mist Hoof snapped before closing his mouth quickly from his volume. "Look, I've been with Princess Ruby these past weeks. I've been by her side as much as I possibly could be. And from what I've seen, she only has a few similarities to Princess Twilight from what I know of her. And while you may think that's because of Night Walker supposedly stealing her memories, I find it hard to believe that's the case."

"Let me guess, you just happened to be an expert on evil magic and villains?" Applejack sarcastically commented.

"I may be a fan of crime novels, but I won't say I'm an expert on the matter," he replied. "But… for reasons I can't really explain, I believe Princess Ruby and Princess Twilight are two separate ponies."

"And just how did ya come to that conclusion?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

Mist Hoof was silent for some moments as he peered out around the corner, before finally replying, "...My gut tells me."

"Really?" Rarity deadpanned. "You honestly can't believe in something as silly as that."

"Hang on, Rarity, he may be right," Applejack said after a moments reflection. "The gut is an important thing."

"Puh-lease! You can't really believe in such nonsense as well!"

"Shh!" Mist Hoof suddenly whispered as his ears pricked up. "Did you hear that?"

Rarity and Applejack opened their mouths to reply, but quickly shut them as they too listened.

The three of than panned their heads about as they warily scanned their surroundings, tensing their muscles from the prickling feeling of somepony watching them. Their tension however, was alleviated by the sound of giggling.

Mist Hoof let out a sigh and turned towards the source. "About time you woke up."

Appearing from from their hiding spot, Cloud Shadow and Willow Shade walked into view, a mischievous smile plastered on both of their faces. "You try taking four hooves to the face and see how you feel," Cloud Shadow teased.

"How are you feeling?" Mist Hoof asked, ignoring the remark.

"Ready to kick flank."

"You might actually get that chance for once…" Turning his head to peek from their hiding spot, Mist Hoof looked over the yard. "Things are getting worse. More of them have shown up, we have no idea where Ruby, Ember Mane, or Ebon Wing are. And I can't imagine it'll be much longer before sunrise."

"Ruby, huh?" Willow Shade commented. "And here I thought you were actually going to believe that she's Twilight."

"You two be listening to us the whole time?" Applejack asked.

"Of course, _Applejack_ ," Cloud Shadow replied with a toothy smile. "If we were guard ponies, we could have caught you three a looooong time ago. You and Rarifruit."

"That's _Rarity,_ " she replied testily, subconsciously gripping her weapon tigther.

"This isn't time for games," Mist Hoof said sharply. "We need to find the others and get out of here soon. Shouldn't be much of a problem now that you're up."

"Princess Ruby's over by the heavy machinery, watching those group of those ponies form up," Cloud Shadow replied.

Mist Hoof let out a groan as quietly as he could. "And you've just _now_ told us?"

"When in doubt, stalk it out!" the two bat mares whispered in unison with toothy grins.

Rarity gave them a deadpanned look. "... Are they always like this?"

"No, they're usually worse," a new voice chimed in.

"W-Who?" Rarity asked aloud.

While Rarity and Applejack looked to and fro, the two bat mares simply flashed wild grins, and Mist Hoof rolled his eyes as he continued to stare out into the yard.

"Who in tarnation was that?" Applejack asked while still searching.

"Cooooome on ouuuuut, Little E," Willow Shade quietly sang.

In response, Ebon Wing materialized from a nearby shadow, walking straight out as if he had been standing there the entire time. "I hate it when you call me that."

"By the stars," Rarity gasped. "Where did you come from?"

Willow Shadow looped a hoof around his neck and pulled him into her, while Cloud Shadow noogied his mane. " _This_ little guy can hide in shadows; the only reason why he's the only pony from the entire town that we can't catch."

Applejack and Rarity, still in disbelief of his appearance, watched as he begrudgingly took the punishment from the two mares.

"Enough, all of you!" Mist Hoof snapped, drawing all of their attention. "We need to get going. And unless Ember Mane also happens to be nearby…"

A moment of silence passed as they gave a once over their surroundings, waiting for another pony to appear from Equestria knows where.

Mist Hoof flared his nostrils when nothing happened, and continued on. "We're heading over to Ruby, and hopefully find Ember Mane along the way."

With that, Mist Hoof slinked out of their hiding spot and began leading the way to the other side of the yard.

Rarity and Applejack both gave each other a nervous glance before looking over the new bat ponies, still unsure on how exactly things ended up like this.

"Come on you two," Willow Shade cheerfully said. "We wouldn't want to miss the fun."

"I don't know how you find any of this entertaining," Rarity said beneath her breath as she followed in step.

Cloud Shadow however, paused for a moment and turned her head back. "Oh, and Applejack?"

"Yeah?" Applejack replied.

Cloud Shadow gave a sly grin and said teasingly, "If you happen see to a tree along the way, try to hold back the urge to hug it."

Applejack stared dumbfounded as the batpony snickered uncontrollably and caught up with the other one. Even when she had just learned their names, she was having a hard time figuring out which one was which.

"Are they sisters or something?" Applejack asked aloud.

"No, just super annoying," Ebon Wing answered.

* * *

The six of them spent the next few minutes stealthily making their way out to where Ruby had last been spotted, as well as to where the majority of the ponies were. Why the ponies had reduced their frantic searching, the six of them hadn't a clue. But given the strangeness each of the bat ponies had glimpsed tonight—ponies that seemed different than the others, the one who caught Mist Hoof being an example—they believed it to be more than a coincidence that they were gathered near Ruby's position.

There was more happening here than they knew, and they were not sure if they wanted to risk finding out what it was.

Having eventually arrived at the scene, the six of them peeked out from hiding places to the large open space where the gathered formations of over two dozen ponies stood, along with five noticable ones at the forefront. Unlike the rest who fidgeted in place, the five in front calmly peered into the rows of machinery before them. And—much to the Rarity and Applejack's uneasy stomachs—more ponies could be seen lying still on the ground.

Ruby had been busy during their run about through the yard, and they pushed away thoughts of how many more might be lying around the construction site.

"Ah… Ah can't believe she'd do this…" Applejack whispered.

"What?" Cloud Shadow replied, all hint of her cheekiness gone as she peered at the gathered ponies. "Defend herself?"

"Defending yerself is one thing, but this…" Applejack forced herself to keep her eyes on the ones standing, and not let her vision drift downwards. "Killing ain't right…"

"Maybe for you, but I doubt you've had to live through what we've dealt with," she replied.

"Ah faced plenty of dangers," Applejack retorted back in whisper.

"I'm not doubting your life, oh great Element of Harmony," Cloud Shadow said while rolling her eyes. "Yeah, we've heard about you. Kinda hard not to. But despite the things you've done, dealing with death hasn't been one of them. You didn't watch your family die in bed when they were barely old enough to start running on their own."

Applejack turned to her with wide eyes and an open mouth. "What?"

"And I'm sure you didn't have to watch your friends get burned alive by a fireball. Did you even know that some of us died just _trying_ to escape a cave?"

"Ah… Ah heard the reports but…"

"But what?"

When Applejack didn't respond, Cloud Shadow gave a sneer and turned her eyes back to the yard. "Killing is the only thing that's keeping us alive, and even though I don't like it, I'd rather kill than be killed. I get that, every batpony gets that, and Princess Ruby especially gets that."

Applejack's eyes became tight, and she turned away, unable to look out into the yard anymore. She just wasn't able to stop herself from looking at the ground. Instead, she gave a desperate and silent look of plea to Rarity.

Rarity bit her lip, knowing full well how Applejack felt. She hated it too. She hated that it had come to this so much. There was nothing good or right about any of the things that happened tonight, including her own use of her makeshift weapon that she gripped closely to her chest, just so that she could hold onto something.

Even though she had only minutes ago felt a sense of peace—if not still concerned—among the bat ponies and their jokes. But when it came to talks about this, of hearing their mentalities and seeing ponies only yards away who apparently felt the same, and had even died with that belief, she felt appalled, disgusted, and as lost as Applejack did.

So why was it that there was some part of her deep inside that agreed with it all?

"Princess Twilight!"

Rarity snapped her head up at the sudden shout, and peeked around the corner to see the mare who had spoken loud enough for all of them to hear.

"We can play this game until the sun comes up. Come out and face your fate!"

Even as the bat ponies narrowed their eyes at the name the mare had called their princess, a deathly silence filled the yard. Rarity could hear her heartbeat in her ears, as she waited with bated breath for something to happen.

Then, she saw the bat ponies stiffen and shift their gaze upwards, as well as the five ponies in the front. Looking to them for a moment, she followed their gaze and squinted to make out what they were staring at. At first she wasn't able to see what they apparently could, and subconsciously leaned forward even as the bat ponies wings bristled with tension.

But slowly and surely, a shadow moved within the depths of the tall machinery, and a pony could be seen making it's way to the top of a crane, above and in full view for all to see. It was in those final steps that Rarity could finally make out Ruby as she stepped in front of the city lights behind her, perched atop the crane with folded wings like a hawk eyeing a mouse.

Up there, half in the shadows, and with crimson eyes Rarity swore she could make out from her spot, Ruby truly appeared as another pony entirely; a mare of a different breed that was deadly, and unfamiliar to the same one she knew from only a month ago.

"Twilight…" she whispered.

The ponies in the yard shuffled nervously as they squinted to make out her form, all except for the five still standing bravely in the front. Instead, they eyed Ruby in a cold and calculating manner. They held themselves without a trace of fear, and their heads high with a defiant manner.

A sense of pride filled Rarity at the sight of them, only to be thrown away quickly in disgust of even having the thought.

"Are you ready to face your fate, Princess Twilight?" the same mare called again.

Even for her lack of sight, Rarity could clearly see the signs of agitation in Ruby in the way they addressed her.

"This is bad…" Rarity whispered to the others. "She's about to panic."

"How do you know?" Mist Hoof asked.

"It's the same thing that happens every time we call her that," Rarity replied, unable to take her eyes away from her distant form. "She can't handle the stress of being called Twilight. Every time she is, she either becomes very hostile or spaces out in random bouts. She can't afford to be vulnerable during this, but neither can she afford to be baited."

"How in Equestria would you know she's freaking out?" Cloud Shadow replied with a furrowed brow.

"Because she's my friend!" Rarity firmly replied. "I know her! I know her strengths, her faults, and her anxieties! Her left wing is bristling more than the right, shes tucking her chin downward, and her tail is twitching clockwise, the opposite of when she's excited! She's about to panic and possibly get herself killed!"

The bat ponies stared in disbelief at Rarity who now had a clear line of wetness in her eyes.

"She's our friend, and I won't stand for her to be hurt!"

"Ah couldn't have said it better than myself," Applejack added with a warm smile. "Ah may not have Rarity's eye, but I know Twilight as good as any of my friends." Walking to Rarity's side, Applejack placed a reassuring hoof on her shoulder. "And no dark magic or vampony mumbo-jumbo is going to change the fact that she's our friend. Ain't that right?"

Rarity gave a small sniffle as she pulled herself together, and meekly replied with a nod.

"Mumbo-jumbo?" Willow Shade replied in distaste.

"There she goes!" Mist Hoof nearly shouted.

Together, they all turned their heads in time to watch Ruby leap from the crane, and begin a speedy descent towards the ponies on the ground, who were already preparing themselves.

"Let's go!" Mist Hoof shouted as he leapt from his spot and galloped across the way.

Ebon Wing, Cloud Shadow, Willow Shade, Applejack, and Rarity all fell right behind him, and ran with all their strength, and shouting at the top of their lungs. Even when the ponies in formation turned to break out and charge them directly, they still kept running forward without hesitation.

"WE'RE COMING TWILIGHT!" Rarity screamed, moments before she swung her pipe into the chest of the first pony that dared to block her path.


	34. Chapter 34

Rarity, Applejack, and the bat ponies charged across the yard, steadfast in their approach even as the enemy ponies turned to gallop towards them. During that tense but brief moment before the two sides collided, a dozen details flashed across Rarity's mind, some so small they would would be irrelevant. The look of uncertainty on some of the ponies faces, the echo of hooves across the hard ground, Twilight's form dropping onto the five ponies in the distance, and the weight of the metal pipe she pulled along with her.

Of all her previous experiences in fighting—times she often looked back on with displeasure—none of them matched the odd feeling that filled her now. Or rather, the lack of.

There were no fleetings thoughts for distraction, no qualms of how dreadful the situation was; even though such thoughts plagued her head only moments ago. There wasn't even a hint hesitation as she lifted the pipe above her head so that she could swing it onto the first pony. She was now only a few hoofsteps away from the other pony, and there wasn't anything coming to mind that was telling her what she was about to do was wrong, or anything else otherwise. It was just simply something she needed to do. And with a twitch of her horn, followed by the thud of metal bashing into the pony, she swung.

Time resumed for Rarity, and she resolutely continued forward.

In the corner of her eye, she saw another pony being launched forward into the rest of the oncoming foes from a kick that could only be attributed to an Apple's legs. Rarity wasn't sure what was running through Applejack's mind, or if it was as strangely numb and clear like hers, but there was a sense of reassurance as Applejack's orange coat pulled up on her left to join her in facing the ponies.

Another swing from Rarity sent another pony crumbling, and a second swing sent another down to clutch at their shins. The fight had just begun, and she had already sent three ponies down.

Turning her head, she scanned for her next target, and found to her surprise that none were approaching just yet. Instead, the ponies were now keeping a safe distance from her and her pipe; eying her and Applejack in frustration as they milled about them in search of an opening to exploit. But while they needed time to figure out their next move, Rarity had already planned hers.

Rarity took a step forward, already knowing which one she would strike first, as well as the second, third, and fourth. In fact, despite their defensive postures and careful spacing, they appeared as nothing more than a stack of dominoes for Rarity to smackdown. Though she noted that they had some fighting experience, they had no chance in dodging her attacks, or even the bravado to charge her all at once for fear of being clubbed by her. She needed to move in, keep them on their hooves, and strike as many as possible before they started to recklessly pile on top of her. It clear what she needed to do, and she would have done it if Applejack hadn't spoken.

"What's wrong with all of you? That's Twilight dammit!"

Rarity paused in place as her senses suddenly dulled from the earlier clarity. Fluttering her eyes, she glanced down at the unconscious pony she had hit, then towards the one skippering away on their knees. The weight of the pipe in her magic suddenly changed from a familiar sensation into something alien, and it even threatened to be dropped from her grasp entirely in appal.

 _I was… I did.. I was about to…_

"She's a princess!" Applejack shouted again, bringing Rarity's focus back. "Why in Equestria are you trying to hurt her?"

"She's not our princess anymore," one of them replied; a mare. She gave a noticeable gulp as she found her voice, but kept speaking steadily. "She's been cursed and she needs to be dealt with."

"She ain't cursed!" Applejack exclaimed. "She's just… she's in trouble, alright? And it's our job to help her!"

"If you want to help her, then help us!" the mare shouted. "You!" Rarity flinched as the mares eyes focused on her. "You should be with _us_! You should be helping us capture her!"

The odd fact that all of the ponies shared white coats and similar mane hues as Rarity was brought into detail again. Indeed, if she was on there side, it wouldn't be hard for her to blend in like a piece of background. But despite her curiosity at what it all meant, she would not let such a trivial fact persuade her. "I… I think not!" Rarity stammered. The weight of the pipe suddenly became more reassuring as she pulled it close to her chest. "Why in Equestria would I hurt Twilight?"

The mare let out an irritated tsk. "And this is why our family's fallen apart."

"Family? What are you talking-" Rarity began, but was caught off by the shout of a particularly loud stallion in pain.

"Just stay right there!" the mare shouted at Rarity and Applejack. "Let us do our job for the good of Equestria!"

Applejack lowered her head and scuffed her hoof on the ground. "Ah don't know what's wrong with yer heads, but you are _not_ going to hurt Twalight."

Rarity fell into a similar position, and while letting out a breath, she trying to formulate a plan on what to do next. There were enough of them to surround them if needed, despite how many good hits she and Applejack could get in. They needed leverage, something to swing the tide, even just for a moment. Flicking her eyes across the yard, she settled on a nearby pile of knocked over supplies beside them, and gave a snort in satisfaction. In one motion, two more pipes of different design were magically pulled from the pile, and twirled about her body as she tested their weight. Now that she had three tools that she could bludgeon with, the ponies gave a nervous glance back and forth, not entirely sure which one they should be looking out for. Their reactions already gave Rarity a clue for which one to go for first.

Despite all her concentration and analytical skills happening during this moment, she had failed to notice how easily she had slipped into this state again.

"We don't have time, Applejack. Twilight's in trouble."

"Right then, let's go," she replied, having only taken her eyes off the ponies to give a reassuring smirk at the twirling pipes. "Glad to see moving all that fashion stuff is paying off."

"It always did, darling. It just won't be in bits this time," Rarity replied flately.

Applejack raised an eyebrow, but shook it off as the other ponies tensed their bodies, looking like they might try to get the first strike in.

With no more time for words, Rarity and Applejack leapt forward in unison to deny them the advantage, and set about on pushing their way through to where Twilight was.

While Applejack had to deftly handle the ponies surrounding her, only being able to land a single kick here and there while holding her own defense, Rarity calmly went about her targets in a calculating manner, and without restraint. The ponies weren't able to get a hoof close to her without receiving an sharp smack from her metal clubs that either reminded them to keep their distance, or crumple them to the ground in pain. Even when two unicorns flared their horns to wrestle them from her grasp, the third pipe was quick to smack them smartly on their horns and return to her side again before anypony could seize the opportunity. There wasn't even a flinch of sympathy from Rarity for how much their horns must have been hurting after her hit.

The similar colored ponies learned very quickly that Rarity was beyond their means to detain, and kept extending their distance from her with each painful reminder of how close she would let them in. While they could still say they were similar to Rarity in color, that was were all similarities ended. She was calm, in control, and ever so dangerous despite the odds facing her. And unlike her, they failed to notice the opening they had created that she took without a moments hesitation.

"Applejack, I'm going to Twilight. Join up with the bat ponies," Rarity called over her shoulder in a calm tone that went defied her rapid heart rate and coursing adrenaline. She heard Applejack yell back to her to question, but she ignored it in focus of making sure the few ponies in front of her kept their distance as she twirled the pipes in a dizzying fashion.

She figured she had only a few moments to get to Twilight before the rest of them would come after her, but it was worth the risk it if it meant she could at least help her if but for a moment. Breaking away from the group, she galloped across the yard with all her strength until she arrived on scene where Twilight and the five ponies fought, and saw with more curiosity than disbelief that Twilight was having difficulty with them.

She was about to swing down onto three of the ponies as she drew close, but the shouts of the group behind her alerted them to her presence. _So much for the element of surprise._ With that plan out of the way, she had only one other to go on.

"Pardon me!" Rarity yelled as she sent two pipes towards the nearest ponies, causing them to jump back with greater reflexes than she had expected them to react with. With a brief glance at the ponies as she ran between them, she slide to a halt by Ruby's side and faced them off, completely ignoring the look of surprise and anger in Ruby's eyes.

"You!" Ruby shouted, even as she began to turn her fangs towards her.

"I'm here to help," Rarity said flatly while still keeping her eyes focused entirely on the other ponies. Regardless of her calm state of mind, there was a flicker of worry in the back of Rarity's head that risking herself in a such a vulnerable way to show her trust towards Ruby would backfire. But despite the risks, she needed to prove she was an ally, and offering such an easy chance at her life was the quickest way to show that. Like Applejack had said, she needed to prove that she was a friend.

It then occurred to Rarity why she had never looked on similar dangerous situations like this before.

After a few tense moments of which Rarity thought Ruby would take the opportunity to latch onto her neck, Ruby finally let out a snarl and stepped beside her. "Don't think this changes things between us."

"We'll deal with that later. First things first…" Rarity began to spin the pipes around her body in what appeared to be a random fashion, but was actually a carefully laid out planned formation. Years of spinning fabrics, needles, and other assortments of items in perfect tune with each other had its merits. Everything needed to be in the right place at the right time, ready to zip in the moment each item was needed, and prepared to step up should an unexpected tear or misthread occur. In this case, it was more about responding to ponies and properly smacking them back into their places than unruly fabric.

But while her impressive display had caused some doubt onto the ponies from before, the five in front of her and Ruby had no noticeable reaction whatsoever. Instead, they cooly regarded Rarity as she had them, and were even carefully noting how Rarity twirled about her weapons. Seeing them merely look upon her as some new puzzle was to say the least, disarming for Rarity. Since she had begun fighting, the first flicker of doubt and worry played across her mind.

"Ruby," Rarity said, making careful note on which name to call her for the moment, "something's off about these ponies."

"You're telling me," Ruby growled. "They keep countering my magic before I can get a hold of one of them, and they don't move like any normal pony I've dealt with."

The mention of Ruby 'dealing' with ponies didn't bother Rarity in the slightest, despite some tiny notion in the back of her head that it should.

But as to show her point on her difficulty with them, Ruby flared her horn to make a grab for one of them, only to have the two unicorns of the bunch flare their own horns and quickly stop it. While it wasn't ever easy to stop another unicorn from using their magic, let alone counter an actual spell, a quick push of ones own magic into another's horn usually was enough to disrupt it. The fact that two unicorns were able to manage it given Twilight's natural magically ability showed how skilled they were. Rarity was sure given that enough concentration, Twilight would be able to magically muscle her way past their suppression with little effort, but she doubted the two pegasi and one earth pony would give her that chance.

Ruby let out another growl of frustration before Rarity cooly replied, "Stay calm, Ruby."

"Easy for you to say," Ruby replied. With a snort of irritation, she tentatively asked, "Since when did you have any sense of keeping calm? All I've ever seen you've done is paw at your hooves and whine."

"I'm not sure," Rarity replied, allowing herself a moment of introspection. "I must say that it is curious, and not at all how I imagine myself behaving in such a situation. But that's to figure out for later. Right now, we need to get you and the bat ponies out of here before sunrise." Rarity spared herself a moment to turn her eyes towards Ruby who gave a small smile in reassurance, though a bit more forced than she figured it would be. "I've told you, I'm your friend. And friends don't let friends down."

An uncertain look played across Ruby, but it quickly vanished as she refocused on to the five ponies. "Let's just get this over with."

Rarity and Ruby faced off their opponents, who in turn prepared themselves. But even with the advantage of numbers on their side, they held themselves back from making the first move. If Rarity had to guess, they were biding their time until reinforcements arrived, or until the sun came up. Regardless of their reason, Rarity felt that they would prove to still be difficult to face without either of those two factors.

"We need to take down the unicorns," Ruby whispered. "The problem is that they keep staying in the back."

Rarity glance a quick glance at their surroundings, noting details of the space around her as she would a piece of fabric; where she would lay out the lines, the sections that she would cut, and the places she would need to stitch. It occurred to her then that fighting was a lot like dressmaking, once she spent a moment to actually compare the two without distractions.

"Then we should stop their movements," Rarity replied after formulating the beginnings of a plan. "Follow my lead."

Ruby gave a grunt in dissatisfaction, but firmly nodded her head that she was in agreeance.

Rarity whipped her head back, and began chucking her pipes as swiftly as she could, while simultaneously grabbing more debris around her to add to her salvo. "Get close!" Rarity shouted to Ruby who eagerly obeyed. As she darted in to square off against the closest two, Rarity continued to chuck piece after piece at the pegasi in efforts to keep them from going airborne. She even tried to bounce pieces of spare metal off the ground so that they would fling upwards while they ducked an overhead shot.

While doing so, Rarity ensured that some items remained firmly in her grasp so as to swing them like a distant club, but the unicorns were making it difficult as they latched on to her magically held objects to prevent them from swinging further. Her distractions however, were beginning to have their effect as the two unicorns kept their eyes shifting back and forth from Ruby to Rarity. It wasn't enough to stop them from countering Ruby's horn each time, but enough for what Rarity had been laying out.

While one pegasus and the earth pony sparred with Ruby, and surprisingly keeping good pace with her, the other pegasus darted towards Rarity. While pegasus was quick, Rarity had plenty of chances in dealing with a much speedier and more colorful colliding object, and she deftly hopped out of the way.

"Ruby! I'm out of things to throw!" Rarity shouted in alarm as she backed away from him. There was a grunt of irritation from Ruby, and the two unicorns turned their attention to her as she defiantly tried to use her magic again.

With a quick recovery, the pegasus flexed his wings and eyed Rarity as he advanced. The two of them locked eyes as they shifted about, observing the other as much as they could. "For somepony who shows potential, you sure are a lousy shot," he idly remarked. "It's too bad you didn't join us when this all started. "

"Don't flatter yourself into thinking I would ever join whatever group you're apart of," Rarity said as she kept backing up, ensuring she kept a proper distance from him. There was a nagging thought at the back of her head. The pony seemed familiar, and his raspy voice even more so, but it was too dark to make out his features, and there were more pressing matters that demanded her attention. "Nor should you feel so important in thinking that I was aiming for you."

The pegasus furrowed his eyebrows in a questioning glance, but readied himself when Rarity floated a pipe she had stepped over, having been purposefully thrown a short distance. "If there's one a fashionista needs to be aware of, it's where she needs to place her pins."

The pegasus readied himself for her next attack, but paused when he noticed that while her horn was flaring with activity, the pipe in front of her remained still. Catching on faster than she had expected, the pegasus looked behind her in time to see the two previously thrown pipes lift themselves from the ground and swing themselves towards the horns of the unicorns whose entire focus was on Ruby.

To Rarity's amusement, the pegasus went slack jawed at her precise strike that she performed behind her back, and at the distance she was able to grab the pipes. His reaction, however, was short lived as he quickly collected himself and began to charge Rarity. It was a shame he lacked the level of awareness that Ruby had.

Before his hooves could reach her, the other pegasus who was wrapped in a velvet glow was thrown into him, sending the two tumbling across the ground.

 _Just in the nick of time,_ Rarity thought. If she had thrown correctly, than Applejack should have had a few less ponies to deal with and be here shortly herself. Which meant that only two dazed unicorns and one earth pony was all they had left to deal with. After that, they could regroup with the bat ponies and stave off the rest of ponies. Like the rest of the battle, it only took a moment for the decisions and conclusions of each step to flash across Rarity's mind. For her, the fight was already over with. They just needed to apply the finishing details and complete the order.

But even unexpected outcomes would complicate even the most simplest of orders, and while none had been beyond Rarity's ability to correct thus far—simply only needing to pick herself back up to tackle the problem—nothing prepared her for the sight she saw as she turned around.

Behind her, Ruby jaw was clamped onto the earth pony's neck, and it was done with such force that it almost looked cartoonish on how thin and broken his neck was. Blood flowed freely onto the ground, staining his white coat and adding a purple hue to his blue mane. Rarity was unable to see his eyes due to how his head hung limp in the opposite direction, but she could clearly see Ruby's. Rarity saw the way they shimmered with such a color of crimson, putting any red dyed fabric Rarity had worked with to shame, and it caused her to freeze in place. For the first time since the fighting had started, crippling dread filled Rarity, and she became very much afraid.

"Twi...light…" Rarity whispered.

Whether Ruby had heard her or not, she had momentarily dropped the pony unceremoniously, and eyed Rarity in contemplation. Staring across the yard like this, eye to eye, Rarity suddenly felt small, isolated, and vulnerable. She hadn't even been aware of the fact that she had slumped down onto her knees beneath Ruby's gaze, or how her mouth kept opening and closing wordlessly, torn between the decision of screaming in panic or remaining deathly quiet. But when Ruby took a step towards her, she couldn't stop the stream of words from her mouth.

"Twi-Ruby! P-P-Please… stay back… I… I… don't…"

Ruby then darted across the yard towards her, and Rarity ducked her head between her hooves as she screamed in terror. She futility shielded herself with her arms, unable to hear anything outside of her own rapid heartbeat that had finally made it's way to her attention. She shivered in place as tears began to stream down her cheeks, all while whispering beneath her breath for Ruby to stop. But as the moments passed, and no fangs had yet to brutally tear through her arms, she tentatively peeked out.

Ruby had charged, but she hadn't aimed for her. Instead, Ruby had lunged onto the two recovering unicorns, and was just finishing up with the both of them. Rarity stared in horror as Ruby only a short distance away drank deeply from the body of the one whose neck hadn't been broken before dropping him into a puddle of his own spilled blood. Like the earth pony, they were both dead, and Ruby had killed them. Horribly so.

That last thought played across Rarity's mind over and over and over again.

Looking about the yard in a cold fashion, Ruby turned her eyes to Rarity, who in response gave a small squeal as she defensively raised her arms again.

Peeking through her hooves, Rarity fearfully locked eyes with Ruby. A questioning look played over Ruby's face, which slowly turned into something Rarity wasn't able to decipher. If anything, she was now looking at Rarity with a look of disappointment, or judgement. She wasn't able to tell.

Time seem to stretch as they as stared off at each other, until it was finally broken by the shout of the pegasus who had lunged at Rarity from before.

"Fall back! Fall back!"

Ruby gave a scowl as she looked upwards at the pegasus who was already turning to run, guiding the ponies who were still standing towards the entrance of the yard. Ruby flared her wings and looked ready to take after him as well as the other ponies who hastily followed his lead, but the shout of one of the bat ponies caught her attention, and she instead let the pegasus off with nothing but an unpleasant snarl.

Even as Ruby galloped away, Rarity remained staring in place where she had been standing. Her arms gave out and hung limply by her side as the adrenaline finally began to fade, and small shakes played out across her body.

 _Celestia… What have I done? I… I hurt other ponies… I nearly killed them and… Twilight… Twilight had…_

"Rares…" a pony said behind her.

Flinching at the voice, Rarity slowly turned her head around, and saw Applejack staring open mouth at her, and with tears of her own beginning to form in her eyes.

At first neither of them spoke, they just simply stared at each other, silently asking if everything they had just dealt with actually happened. Eventually though, out of curiosity and to ensure her own sanity, Rarity asked with a dry mouth, "Applejack… did you see her…"

The way she tightened her eyes and bit her lip told Rarity that she had seen it all. They knew it had happened, but despite the evidence around them, neither of them truly believed it. Neither of them really accepted it. Nothing they had done prepared them for this moment, no matter how times they went over it, or even talking about it freely with the bat ponies.

Twilight had killed, and she had done in front of them.

Applejack and Rarity remained quiet for sometime, simply staring at each other because they couldn't bear the sight around them. They couldn't turn their heads the few inches it would take to see the ponies now lying in a pool of their own blood. So when Ruby suddenly spoke, they nearly had jump right out of their skins.

Not entirely sure what she had said, they both turned to look at Ruby standing only a short distance away from them, a guarded but questioning look on her face as she looked them over. She appeared as if she was simply talking to the Flim Flam Brothers, skeptically curious about some product instead of standing above dead ponies. To Rarity, there was something that was just so wrong but also naturally fitting about that.

"Are you hurt?" Ruby repeated, cautiously keeping her eyes shifting between the two of them.

"I…" Rarity began to say. She didn't even know _what_ to say. There were a hundred words she could say right now, a hundred things that needed to be addressed. But none of those words were coming to her, so she went for the only ones that did. "I'm… alright."

Ruby gave her a once over, then turned her head to Applejack, and narrowed her eyes from how she winced.

"Ah… Ah'm fine too…"

There was tension in the air between them as they looked at each other. Much different than from before, but it seemed it weigh more heavily on their side than Ruby's this time.

"I just want to…" Ruby said. She quickly licked her lips and gave a small nod. "I just want to say thank you for your help."

Ruby was finally talking to them in a normal fashion, and was even thanking them. If it weren't for the pools of blood steadily growing in size, Rarity and Applejack might have reacted more than just staring blankly at her.

Ruby furrowed her eyebrows at their lack of response, and swallowed as she thought over her next words. "I… I need to go. Mist Hoof's been hurt, and…" Looking over her shoulder, Applejack and Rarity followed her gaze to Mist Hoof being being held by a few of the bat ponies, the rest of them diligently keeping guard in case the attacking ponies decided to come back. There was even another bat pony stallion that she hadn't seen yet, but assumed had joined the fight at some point. From the looks of it, he was losing blood too, and fairly bad. The ones carrying him didn't seem to mind for some reason. In fact, none of them seem to mind too much what everything around them looked like. That thought sent a shudder through Rarity on how in Equestria she had a similar opinion only sometime ago.

"So…" Ruby continued, "Thanks again, and… I'll… just... thank you." Without another word, Ruby spun around and took off into the sky that was beginning to show the faintest signs of sunrise. Rarity wanted to call out to her, ask if she was going to come back to them at the hotel soon, but she just couldn't will herself to make the effort. It was all just so much.

Applejack and Rarity spent sometime there, staring into the sky Ruby had flown into. Even when the sun was well over the horizon, they continued to stare. Eventually, reason and awareness came back to them, and they shook themselves from the chill that had crept onto their bodies.

"What do we do?" Applejack asked, unable to help herself but glance fearfully at the bodies of the ponies who never managed to crawl themselves away.

Rarity was silent for sometime before she swallowed a lump in her throat, and shakily spoke, "We need to contact Princess Celestia right away. This has gone too far."

"We should have just done that in the beginning…" Applejack forlornly said.

Rarity wanted to stand up and hold Applejack, but she was still too shaken up to muster the effort. "You couldn't have predicted any of this, darling. _No_ pony could." Another period of silence passed them, and Rarity finally managed to stand herself onto her hooves. With a few forced breaths, she collected herself the best she could.

"We… We need notify Princess Celestia right away. If we're lucky, she'll be able to arrive by nightfall. But before that, we need to figure out where Twilight is." Rarity glanced at the bodies of the ponies around her, then turned to peer at a distant section of crates where she had struck the head of a stallion. "And I know just the pony to get our answers from."

* * *

"Hold on, Mist Hoof! We're almost there!" Ruby exclaimed. He faintly replied back, but she wasn't able to hear it from the high winds as they gained altitude to land at the tower that was still some distance away. "Hang in there! Just… hang in there!"

Mist Hoof was in bad shape, more than she initially had thought. Something must of been torn inside of him, and she suspected the internal bleeding was more severe than the external. She couldn't help but look towards him every few seconds and bite her lips. She hadn't been there to protect them. She gotten so caught up in her worry of what happened to Shade Flare and the others that she actually risked herself in trying to see if the three mares had any info. Even worse, she never got an answer from them. She never even had the chance _to_ ask them. It had all just went so wrong so quickly, and now Mist Hoof was dying because of it.

 _~And even after all they went through to help us...~_

 _Twilight!_

 _~Y-You can hear me again?~_

 _Yes, I can!_ A shudder passed through Ruby. _Where have you been!? Mist Hoof is-_

 _~I know… I saw most of it~,_ Twilight forlornly replied. _~I'm worried that he won't make it too.~_

Ruby winced as a Mist Hoof gave guttural cough, and wheezed as breathing was becoming more difficult for him. Everypony else looked onto him in concern, and they redoubled their efforts again to get to the tower in greater haste.

"We're almost there, you old fart," Willow Shade murmured.

"Ruby, what are we going to do?" Cloud Shadow asked fearfully. "Can you save him?"

Ruby was silent as she looked over Mist Hoof in worry, and found that her vision was getting misty the more her fears for him sank into her gut.

"I…" Ruby began. Closing her eyes and gritting her teeth, she focused on the tower in the distance. _There's only one way that I can save him._

 _~Do you think you can do it on your own?~_

 _Yeah… I think so,_ Ruby replied. _But if you could… I… I think I could use your help._

Twilight was quiet for a moment, then the sensation of tingling excitement and happiness began to wash over Ruby, only to die down immediately when the direness of the situation came back to mind. _~Of course I'll help. I'm just… so glad you're finally accepting me.~_

 _Wouldn't be the first time I've done it tonight._ Ruby replied with a tired smirk.

Ruby spun through the memories of the last few hours, highlighting the key notes while ignoring Twilight's aversion to some of the more colorful ones. _~They protected you, and the bat ponies~,_ Twilight mumbled in awe.

 _Yeah, they did,_ Ruby wistfully thought. _The others told me how they worked with them to get to me, and how they saved Mist Hoof's life. They really were looking out for me..._

 _~... Does that mean you trust them now?~_

 _... No, not yet,_ Ruby thought slowly. _But... I'm not against seeing them again,_ she added with a small smile. Twilight returned one of her own through the mental mirror. Their thoughts drifted over the memories of Applejack and Rarity again, noting how they had charged into the fight to help her, how their faces looked as faced their foes, and how they looked at Ruby. Even if it was odd how they behaved at the end, seeing them come to her aid filled Ruby with the same feeling she felt whenever she looked onto her bat ponies. Except that Applejack and Rarity-

 _Ow!_ Ruby groaned as she brought a hoof to her head.

 _~What's wrong?~_

 _Just… a headache._

 _~Are you sure? It feels kind of the same when you ran from the motel room~,_ Twilight thought in concern.

 _Does it hurt for you too?_

 _~No, but-~_

 _I'm fine,_ Ruby grunted as she shook it away. _I'm fine. It's just a headache._

 _~Ruby...~_

 _I said I'm fine. We've got bigger problems._ Squinting at the tower in the rising sunlight, she saw they had covered some distance, but it would still be a few more minutes before they arrived. Ruby gave a growl in frustration as she flared her horn. "We're teleporting the rest of the way!"

The bat ponies gave a wide eye look before they felt the magic flow around them, and tensed their muscles for the sudden shift.

With a pop, they vanished from the sky, and appeared some feet over the balcony at the tower. Had it not been for Ruby catching them all in her magic, they would have tumbled into a rough landing onto the stone. But the worry was an afterthought as Ruby set them down and they rushed Mist Hoof inside.

"Get him on the table! I need room for the transformation. Somepony! Close the curtains! Ebon Wing, get Silver Platter and let him know what's going on." Ruby gave quick reassurances to the bat ponies who had been lounging in the living area that everything was okay while the rest set about her orders. It took only seconds before everything on the table had been knocked away to make room for Mist Hoof, and the curtains drawn so the room fell into a more comfortable darkness with only a few glow lamps left on.

Calming herself, Ruby approached Mist Hoof and rested a hoof carefully over his forehead as she examined in.

"Is… is it… bad?" Mist Hoof weakly murmured. Now that they were in a relatively quiet room, she was finally able to hear him.

"It's alright, you're going to be fine," Ruby softly replied reassuringly. "I'm going to begin the transformation process, alright? It's the only way we can save you."

Mist Hoof gave a hoarse laugh that was disappointingly mild to his usual hearty laughs, sending the tightness in Ruby's stomach only deeper. "Told… you I was… gona be…"

"Shhh, don't talk anymore," Ruby said as she brushed a hoof over his head. "You're going to be fine.

"Ruby," a batpony behind her tentatively said.

"Not now," she firmly replied without looking back.

"Oh… yeah," Mist Hoof casually said, like he had just remembered where he put his glass. "Ruby, I need… to tell you about… those mares…"

"Stop talking, Mist Hoof," Ruby cooed again. "Save your strength, you can tell me afterwards."

Whether he was finally listening to her words, or if he was beginning to become too tired, Mist Hoof quieted down, and shut his eyes as he breathed as steadily as he could.

"Ruby, you should know-" another batpony said before being silenced by her glare.

"I need to start on him right away! Whatever it is, it can wait!"

Turning back to Mist Hoof, Ruby quieted herself as closed her eyes in preparation. After a moment, she bent her head down to Mist Hoof's neck, gently extending her teeth for a bite not in malice, but in respect and care. Turning her bat ponies into vamponies was an act of love, and required all the delicateness she could muster. She was only inches of away from beginning the process when another pony spoke again.

"Well, it seems things got lively," a stallion casually commented.

Ruby closed her jaw in frustration and whipped her head around. "How many times do I have to tell you all to be-" Her words became caught in her throat as she looked at the two ponies standing at the entrance of the room, and were casually looking at the messy scene on the table.

"N-Night Walker! Shade Flare!" Ruby exclaimed in disbelief.

"Hello, Ruby," Night Walker said with his trademark carefree smile, while Shade Flare stared passively beside him. "It appears that some complications have arisen."


	35. Chapter 35

"Night Walker!" Ruby exclaimed. "When did you-"

"Later, there are more pressing matters at hoof," Night Walker replied as he and Shade Flare approached her. "What happened to Mist Hoof?"

Ruby turned towards Mist Hoof and lowered her ears, wincing at noticing how shallow his breathing had become. "We were attacked," she answered quietly. "They came out of nowhere and had us surrounded. We needed to bide time until we could get the chance for all of us to escape, but… it was too long for Mist Hoof."

"Ruby," Cloud Shadow murmured. She and the bat ponies who had fought with Ruby were hovering near the edge of the table, their own faces a mirror of Ruby's worry. "I'm so sorry that-"

"It's not your fault," Ruby said quickly.

"But... if I had been more-"

" **It's not your fault!** "

Cloud Shadow flinched at the shout, and let her ears fall as she turned her head away. Willow Shade wrapped a hoof around her and leaned towards her.

"You did what you could," Ruby said between her clenched fangs. "If you want to blame somepony, then blame the ones who did _this_." Ruby swept her gaze across the room, causing the room of bat ponies to wince. Even though they knew that the malice that emanated from her wasn't meant for them, it was hard not to recoil from it.

"You can trust that anypony who dares to hurt any of you will be sorry that they did." Ruby rested a hoof on Mist Hoof's leg, and gave a gentle squeeze. "The ones who hurt Mist Hoof tonight will pay dearly for what they've done. As soon as he gets better, Night Walker and I will make sure they'll be dealt with."

Murmurs passed through bat ponies, some in excitement, some in concern. But out of all the reactions among the ponies, she paid the most attention to Night Walker's. When she saw his head nod in approval, she flash a small smile of gratefulness to his agreeance.

"Well said," Night Walker said clearly. "Unfortunately, we'll have to set that matter side, for the time being. As I've said, there are more pressing matters at hoof."

Ruby gave a scowl and opened her mouth to reply, but Night Walker silenced her with a raised hoof. "I'll explain it to you later. Right now…" He turned his attention back to Mist Hoof.

The refocus on Mist Hoof's condition stole whatever argument she had planned to make. "R-Right," she replied shakily. _Focus, Ruby, focus. You can get them later, Mist Hoof needs your attention now._ She moved to Mist Hoof's head and gently lifted it towards her. "I'll start right away. Can you help me, Night Walker?"

"Actually, you'll be helping Shade Flare," Night Walker corrected.

Ruby lowered Mist Hoof's head and frowned. "What?"

"Something unexpected has occurred, Ruby. Something that only happened because of you." With a nod from Night Walker, Shade Flare stepped up to the table.

Ruby narrowed her eyes in question, but quickly snapped them open at a detail she had failed to notice until now. "Shade Flare, your eyes!"

Shade Flare gave her a expressionless glance, letting her clearly see his amber eyes. Before she could ask what happened, he spoke in a low and dismissive tone, "Don't worry, they'll change soon enough."

Without waiting for her reply, Shade Flare bent down to Mist Hoof's neck and bite into him. He begun with small sips of blood, then steadily drank deeper, pulling in more with each gulp. Ruby scowled in disbelief of his insanity and moved to throw him off before he wasted anymore blood. But before she could, Shade Flare glared up at her and froze her in place; his once amber eyes now a bright red.

"Interesting, isn't it?" Night Walker commented as he stepped closer, pulling Ruby away from her slackjaw expression. "Because of you, Ruby, vamponies will never be the same again."

"I don't understand," she replied.

"I'll explain it later. First, help him tend to Mist Hoof. He's still having trouble with certain steps. Despite his many deaths, he hasn't developed Soul Sight yet." Night Walker gave a small sigh. "But he's learning how to work without it. For now, help guide him along." Ruby opened her mouth again, but gave a slow and hesitant nod when Shade Flare already began moving to the next step without her.

With an approving nod at the cooperation between the two, Night Walker turned to face the room. "The rest of you," he spoke clearly. "Get some rest, the sun is already up. I promise Mist Hoof will be fine."

He waited patiently as they slowly filed out the room. Willow Shade and the others needed a more personal reassurance, but left on the promise that he would speak to them separately and at greater length later. Afterwards, he walked over to the balcony doors and closed them, bringing a comfortable darkness into the room for Ruby and Shade Flare to work in. Finally, he sat himself into a comfortable chair and observed the two of them from a distance, watching closely along with his own Soul Sight. But while Ruby's was focused on Mist Hoof's soul, Night Walker's was focused on her.

* * *

Ruby gave a weary sigh as she trudged into her bedroom. With a longing look towards her bed, she wanted to toss herself beneath the covers and sleep away the night's events, urged on by the aching of her muscles and tiredness of her mind. But she couldn't rest yet, at least, not until after she got some answers from Night Walker who had followed her into the room.

Ruby unceremoniously climbed onto her bed and sat herself down, legs tucked beneath a large pillow to rest her chest against. She then turned her head to ask Night Walker her first question, but paused when she saw how he too sat himself tiredly down into the chair across the room. His usual calm and collected sense of presence was lacking, or really, entirely gone. Even his critical and seemingly knowing eyes were resting closed, half covered by his hoof resting on his temple.

Ruby opened her mouth to question if he was alright, but decided against it as she continued to watch his strange behavior. She had never seen him like this, so uncomposed and undaunting. To add to the strangeness, she couldn't recall him smiling, not even once, since they finished Mist Hoof's transformation who was now resting in a room of his own.

Ruby stared at Night Walker, his fragile demeanor bringing her a disconcerting sense of unease.

 _~What do you think it is?~_ Twilight asked, sharing in Ruby's apprehension.

 _I don't know, but I don't like it._ Ruby frowned her eyes in concern as she rested her head on the pillow, watching him intently and patiently. _He's so… vulnerable_.

 _~That's your first thought?~_ Twilight replied in distaste.

 _I didn't mean it like that,_ Ruby responded, furrowing her eyebrows. _It's just… how bad are things right now if even he's so worried about it?_

 _~Whatever it is, it must be weighing heavily on him...~_

A silence passed through the room while Ruby waited for Night Walker to pull himself from his rested state, to open his eyes and flash her his reassuring smile while confidently explaining what they would do next. But the longer she waited, the more worried she became that it would never come, and the deeper her concerns dug inside her. Yet, despite her numerous worries of what was to come, looking upon him even now, a faint but content sigh escaped her lips.

 _~I've missed him too.~_

Ruby mentally smirked. _I take it you were developed enough to be aware of him?_

 _~My memories are a little vague, but I kind of remember what it was like back then.~_

Though Ruby knew Twilight shared her sight, there were times where Twilight was more intently focused during the moment as if she was trying to see through Ruby's eyes as her own; this happened to be one of those times as they watched him together.

 _~Looking through your memories of him when they drift in, I feel like my feelings of him were right. I hope whatever's bothering him doesn't last too long.~_

 _... Twilight?_

 _~Yes?~_

Ruby didn't ask right away, leaving a hesitant feeling that caught Twilight's attention. Eventually, at Twilight's inner prodding, Ruby asked, _What do you think of him?_

 _~You should already know.~_

 _No, not_ our _opinion. Just yours. You have enough room to have your own thoughts, feelings, and even memories now. So… I just want to know what you think of him without my side._

Twilight was quiet as she stared along with Ruby at Night Walker, noting as many details as possible. The silver in his mane, the sheen of his black coat, and the quietness on his normally either eccentric or intimidating face.

 _~I guess… even though I'm still growing, I feel like I know him, and that I can trust him.~_

 _... You do?_

 _~Yeah, don't you?~_

 _..._

Twilight conjured the mirrorscape within their minds, and looked to Ruby questioningly. _~What's wrong?~_

 _Nothing,_ Ruby said, though while averting her eyes from the mirror.

 _~You do realize it's pointless hiding how you feel from me, right?~_ Twilight gave a frown as Ruby reluctantly turned to face her. _~Why are you bothered about how I feel?~_

 _Because… I don't feel like that._

 _~ou don't think we should trust him?~_

Ruby sighed. _No, I still trust him. It's just… there's nothing else there.R_ uby shifted her attention from the mirrorscape back to Night Walker. _It's hard to explain… I just… feel like I'm lacking something, like I should feel_ more _towards him than I do._

A wave of uneasiness washed through Ruby. _~You know, just because we're sharing your mind more, doesn't mean I won't get in the way of…~_

Ruby mentally grunted. _I don't have a crush on him._

 _~Then what is it?~_

 _You said it's like you already know him, right?_

 _~Yeah, and?~_

 _... I don't._

Twilight forced the mirrorscape back into Ruby's attention and looked upon her firmly. _~Ruby, your memories were tampered with. Don't go blaming yourself because of what the Princesses did.~_

 _I know, I know,_ Ruby responded guiltily. _It's just hard sometimes to deal with all of this._

The feeling emanating from Ruby caused Twilight to trot up to the mirror and place her hoof on the glass. _~Yes, it is. But you're strong! Much stronger than I would be!~_ she exclaimed. _~It's because of you that Mist Hoof survived.~_

 _He almost died because of me…_

 _~You were acting to find information, nopony could have known this would have happened.~_ When Ruby did not reply, Twilight gave a harumpf, and tapped against the glass. _~Ruby, what's wrong with you? You've been acting weird ever since Night Walker arrived.~_

Ruby turned her head away. _I don't know, and I don't know how to explain it. Can't you tell how I feel?_

 _~I have an idea, but you need to open up a little more if you want it to make sense.~_

Ruby gave her a sidelong look, then sighed before stepping towards the mirror. Without a word, Ruby thrusted her hoof onto the glass, placing it directly over Twilight's hoof. A barrier fell within Ruby's soul, connections were form, and sensations passed between them.

Twilight was slow to speak, caught in disbelief and in wonder at experiencing an impossibly closer connection to Ruby. _~I… I didn't realize you were so scared...~_

 _And I didn't realize you were so confident,_ Ruby chided in response. _How can you be so sure of things?_

 _~I don't know, I just am. But still, I didn't know how much things were weighing on you...~_

 _To be honest, neither did I…_

They two of them were quiet for some moments, poking about their newfound connection until Twilight eventually worked aloud, _~When Night Walker showed up, everything became hard to deal with…~_

Ruby sneered. _Shows how strong I am._

 _~That's not it.~_ Twilight leaned forward so that she could look into Ruby's downcast eyes. _~It just means you trust him enough to be open about your problems. It means he's important to you.~_

Ruby turned her head away from Twilight's eyes, but a small smirk appeared on her face. _Of course I trust him._ Ruby played over her first memories when she awoke in her mind. Moments where Night Walker was by her side explaining some step in Soul Sight, walking with him while checking on the bat ponies, watching him teach them how to fight; even her fight with him was now a pleasant memory, causing a small shiver from Twilight. But most striking of all, was the first memory she could remember, being high up in the sky, surrounding by shimmering clouds and twinkling stars. She could remember how new and mysterious the world seemed then, before she learned she was a princess, vampony, or even her name. Back then, there was only the sky, and Night Walker carrying her through it all.

 _He is important to me,_ Ruby softly said. _I can't imagine coming this far if it wasn't for him._

Twilight gave a smile that mirrored Ruby's own, and gave a gentle push against the glass. _~You and me both.~_

Ruby flashed her a thankful smile and pushed against the glass to match Twilight, deepening the connection between them. She could feel Twilight's own thoughts and feelings more clearly than before, causing her to wonder how she had gone on so long pushing Twilight away. Before, she had only been a small nuisance that flared at inconvenient times, but now, she was proving herself as a pillar of strength to lean against, and a well of knowledge to share with. If she had to guess, she was beginning to think of Twilight as somepony as important to her as Night Walker, and as she leaned deeper into their connection…

"Oww," Ruby sharply said as she brought a hoof to her head.

"Something wrong?"

Ruby rubbed her temple as she fluttered her eyes open, and looked upon her bedroom. Night Walker had seemingly awoken from his nap, and was now staring at her with familiar and sharp eyes again.

"I'm fine… Just… tired from everything that's happened."

Night Walker only replied by nodding.

 _~You sure you're okay?~_

 _Yeah, just a little headache._

Shaking away the brief pain and concerned thoughts of both Twilight and Night Walker, Ruby sat herself upright and focused her attention fully on him. Now that he was awake and apparently back to his old self again, there were matters to discuss, with the most important being her first question. "How are the ponies in Vanhoover?"

Night Walker stared at her passively, then gave a small smirk. "They're fine for the most part. They had simply run into some trouble, much like you had if I had to guess."

"They were attacked?" Ruby asked with a scowl..

"Yes."

"How bad was it?"

Night Walker paused a moment before replying, "Two dead, three severally injured."

The moment the words left his lips, Ruby's wings had snapped out and bristled in fury.

"I swear, when I get my hooves on-"

"Calm down, Ruby," Night Walker said while rubbing a hoof on his forehead again.

Ruby blinked in surprise before glaring back at him. "You can't expect me to be calm when you've told me that my ponies have died!"

"I can, and you **will!** ", he snapped back with surprising volume.

Ruby flattened her ears and tucked her wings as she recoiled beneath his gaze, and shrank down so that she was laying on the bed again. It was the first time she could ever recall of him shouting at her, and it easily replaced her anger with concern and confusion.

"Now is not the time to be worked up, Ruby," he said with a stern glare. When she meekly nodded in reply, he leaned back in his seat while exhaling. "There are too many things that need to be addressed. We can't afford to become blind, even if the things that _we_ wanted didn't happen."

Ruby shifted her eyes to the carpet and took a deep breath before lifting her head back up. "I'm sorry…"

"It's fine," Night Walker replied.

Ruby took another breath. "Okay… what's first?"

"First," he said in a tired voice, "are the Hunters."

Even with the promise to hold herself in check, she could not help but reply in a cold voice, "The ponies that attacked us?"

"Yes."

"Who are they?"

"They… are an old foe, one that I thought had not survived the years. Another oversight on my part." Night Walker shifted his eyes to a nearby wall as if to stare past it. "They gave us plenty of trouble back then. From annexing our lands to assassination attempts, they were a constant thorn in our side."

"How come we didn't take care of them?" Ruby asked with a frown.

Night Walker gave another smirk. "They aren't as easy to deal with as you might think. If they had any of their initiated members attacking you tonight, then I'm sure you've noticed."

Memory of the fight flashed across Ruby's mind, as well as the pony who fought beside her.

"How can they fight like that? They weren't just quicker and more alert..." Ruby furrowed her eyebrows as she searched for an apt description. "It's like… they weren't afraid, or feeling anything for that matter. Even their heartbeats were unusual…"

"Who knows," Night Walker said with a shrug. "After their kingdom was razed by an army of undead, the royal members swore a blood oath against all undead, us included. Some say they made a deal with a powerful unicorn, others that they unlocked the secrets of a relic. While I'd wager more on the first one, I don't know for sure."

"An army?" Ruby asked in surprise. "Ours?"

"No, not us," Night Walker said with a shake of his head. "It belonged to another shepherd."

"Shepherd?"

Night Walker gave Ruby a blank look, before laughing quietly to himself. "Sorry, I keep forgetting what you don't know." With the traces of a faint smile, he said, "It's a story for another time."

Ruby eyed him curiously, but reluctantly agreed as another thought popped into her mind. With a serious expression, she stated simply, "Shade Flare."

"Yes, Shade Flare…" Night Walker echoed. "To be honest, that was very much... unexpected."

"What happened to him?" Ruby ask sternly.

"You, I think," he replied simply.

"That's not enough."

"What more do you want?"

"I want to know how he was able to do that," Ruby replied. "Night Walker, he _removed_ the alicorn magic. And on top of that, he can now change back and forth between a bat pony and a vampony!" Ruby's eyes were wide to further her exclamation. "How is that possible!?"

"I've been trying to figure that out the entire flight over here," Night Walker replied, narrowing his eyebrows in deep thought. "What's more, the bat ponies he changed in Vanhoover turned out the same as well."

"Are you serious?" Ruby whispered.

"Very."

When she did not speak further, Night Walker looked towards her and saw her deep in contemplation. She raised her hoof to her chin, and her gaze turned to the carpet. He waited for further reaction from her for sometime, but when it was clear she wasn't coming back soon, he asked in a curious but teasing tone, "Don't tell me that this bothers you?"

"Hmm?" Ruby replied as she snapped back. "Oh, no! Far from it. This is huge news! I'm just trying to figure out how it's possible."

He regarded her for a moment, then sat back in his chair. "I see."

"While we worked on Mist Hoof, I couldn't help myself from glancing at his soul. That strange structure we saw when he first transformed looked fully formed and active. I still don't understand how it works, but I bet it's what allows him to become a vampony when he drinks blood!" Ruby straightened her ears as she faced Night Walker. "Did the ponies he transform have the same thing as well?"

"They did, although less developed as his. I imagine it was take sometime before it completely sets in," he replied. "Their transformation was slower than normal, but it was less dangerous than the usual process. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't lose a single pony from it."

"That's happened before?" Ruby asked in concern.

"Yes, very often in fact," Night Walker replied. "Not everypony can handle the stress which vampirism puts on the soul. The only reason I believed that we would be successful with just over a hundred bat ponies was because it was already partly grafted on to them. Their chances of dying was less likely."

 _~That's horrible!~_

 _Yeah, it is…_ Ruby replied slowly. _But… it makes sense._

 _~You can't possibly agree with it, can you?~_

 _I take it you don't?_

 _~I...~_

Although Twilight became quiet, Ruby could feel her mind working the problem out, searching for some alternative solution. Yet, despite her efforts, a sinking feeling coming from Twilight washed over Ruby.

 _~Why do things have to be like this? Ponies shouldn't have to decide these kinds of things... ~_

The mirrorscape flashed into Ruby's focus again, and she saw Twilight sitting slumped on the other side of the mirror. _I don't know,_ Ruby said as she rested a hoof against the glass, peering through towards Twilight with a sorrowful gaze. She knew how much these things bothered her, but given the recent strengthening of their bonds these last few days, she was beginning to understand how it pained her to experience them. _But this isn't the time for figure these things out. Twilight, we've made tons of ground with each other, but you can't keep letting these things get to you so much, not if we want to remain this connected._

 _~I know… I'm… slowly getting used to it, but it's just...~_

 _Twilight, I need you, which means the bat ponies need you as well._ Ruby smiled warmly as Twilight looked up to her in confusion. The fact that their positions had reversed from only minutes ago didn't escape Ruby, and made her briefly consider just how integral Twilight was becoming to her; no longer an experiment in Soul Sight or potential trap set by the Princesses. _You're strong as well, Twilight. And right now, we need to face these things together. We've already come this far together._

Twilight bit her lip, but slowly stood up and moved towards the mirror. _~I'm sorry…~_

 _There's nothing to be sorry for,_ Ruby replied reassuringly.

Twilight took in a breath, and took a moment to recompose herself. _~Alright, I'm feeling better. Let's get back to figuring things out.~_

 _You sure?_

 _~I'm fine. Just… promise to look over my connections later. I want to make sure there isn't any bad wiring causing problems.~_

 _A very crude description, but I don't think that's the problem,_ Ruby replied playfully. _Who knew Twilight could be just as scared as me._

Before Twilight could reply, a polite cough sounded throughout the room, bringing Ruby's focus back.

"Something wrong?" Night Walker asked again.

"Nothings wrong," Ruby replied while turning her reddening cheeks away.

"You were spacing out again."

"Was I? I'm sorry, I didn't mean too. I was just-"

"Having an inner conversation?"

Ruby's eyes widen as she turned to Night Walker, and her cheeks became more red as her gave her a knowing look. "You… you can tell?"

Night Walker gave a small laugh as he stepped down from his chair. "When you've had as much experience with them as I have, you learn a thing or two."

Ruby began to rub her hooves together. "I was actually going to ask you about her. There's some things I wanted to know, and I want to make sure I'm doing everything right." Night Walker looked at her appraisingly, causing her to fidget with her hooves even more. "I've… really gotten used to her, and I want her to stay, but I want to make sure I'm doing things right for both our sakes. So… do you have any suggestions?"

Night Walker didn't reply at first, choosing to let out another sigh as he turned for the door. "Sure, we can talk about it later. There's nothing inherently wrong keeping one or a few to the side, given they are ones you use frequently. After all, if it wasn't for them, my imprisonment would have been much more boring."

"So you approve?" Ruby cheerfully asked.

Night Walker looked over his shoulder, then gave a small grin. "We'll talk about what to do with her later. For now, let's get some rest, it's nearly noon, after all."

Ruby gave a happy nod before gleefully sliding under her covers. "Alright, see you in the night."

"Good day, … _Ruby_ ," Night Walker said quietly as he exited the room and closed the door shut behind him. The hallway was empty, and a stifling silence filled the penthouse. With an exasperated sigh, Night Walker looked thoughtfully towards the carpet, running over the recent events in his mind again. From the discovery of Shade Flare, to the silent observation of Ruby's soul while within her room, a dozen possibilities flashed through his mind, stemming a hundred choices, and countless outcomes. For Night Walker, things had gone very much unexpected to say the least.

Raising his leg, shadows coalesced around his hoof, leaving in their wake a diamond amulet that flashed with the faint images of a forgotten life.


	36. Chapter 36

Ruby yawned as she exited the bathroom, drying off the last damp strands of mane with a towel. She looked at the clock on the wall and saw it was a bit after six pm. A tired smile lighted her lips.

 _Guess I couldn't manage more than a few hours today._

 _~It's not that bad. I actually feel pretty good.~_

Feeling Twilight's bustling activity inside of her, Ruby couldn't help but smirk. _You've become more and more energetic. Must be a side effect of making more connections for you. Speaking of which…_

Ruby wrung the last bit of moisture she could from her mane and threw the towel into the nearby hamper. Closing her eyes, she called upon her Soul Sight, and turned her gaze inward.

 _~It's getting a little easier to follow along now.~_

 _Yeah?_

 _~Hmhm. I still don't understand it all, but I think I'm getting the jist of it now.~_

Ruby raised an eyebrow, but kept her smile. _I thought you knew everything I did._

 _~It was easier when I was entirely dependent on you, but now that you've given me some room, it's like I'm learning things all over again.~_ Twilight eagerly watched as Ruby inspected herself, noting the minor changes from before, and testing the budding bridges she had created. _~That tickles.~_

 _What does it feel like?_

 _~Kinda weird, I guess. It's not physical, but it is at the same time. I'm not really sure how to describe it, but it's similar to how I know what your body feels like without actually feeling it.~_

 _Let's get with Night Walker today about that, there's some things I want to go over with him that I'm a little worried about._

 _~Like what?~_

Ruby pulled her vision back, looking over her soul from a distance. Outside of the small fibers that connected the tiny and various parts of her being, she could see the larger structure as a whole and how it all fit together; a nearly endlessly layered design that still held mysteries despite how many times she peered deep within it.

 _I'm a little concerned about how you and I are going to fit if we keep expanding you. We're starting to overlap on some parts, which is nice because we can be closer to each other, but I don't want it to cause any problems._

Ruby could feel Twilight nodding in agreeance, a sensation among others that had become increasingly clearer to notice. _~I think I see what you mean.~_

 _We'll ask him after breakfast, and after we check up on Mist Hoof. Despite all that blood, I'm pretty hungry after working on him._ Ruby dismissed her Soul Sight, and headed towards the door.

 _~I hope he's doing alright,~_ Twilight replied with a shiver from yesterday's memories.

Her dwindling but still apparent aversion to being a vampony made Ruby laugh lightly. _He's a tough pony, he'll manage._

Exiting her room and closing the door behind her, Ruby gave her wings a stretch, bristling her feathers as she shook off the last remnants of sleep.

"Right, let's start the night."

* * *

After procuring a bottle from the stash Silver Platter had set aside for her, and a plum due to Twilight's insistence for variety, Ruby made her way through the penthouse and towards Mist Hoof's room, passing bat ponies along the way that were also beginning their night.

"Ruby, good evening!"

"Good evening, Ruby."

"Evening, Ruby."

Walking through the main hall, Ruby paused to greet each and every one of them, ensuring that their needs were being met and quelling whatever concerns they had from yesterday. She was bidding goodbye to a senior batpony when the trotting of tiny hooves caught her attention, and she turned with a knowing smile.

"Hello, Lunar Pearl," Ruby greeted happily as the little filly came sliding to a halt.

"Ruby! Good evening!"

Behind Lunar Pearl, Ruby could see Lily Wing casually catching up, and flashing an apologetic smile. "Sorry for the early night welcome, but she was determined to see you."

"Is it true you beat up a bunch of ponies?" Lunar Pearl asked with wide eyes.

 _~Oh dear, what do we tell her? Should we-~_

"It's true," Ruby said as she bent her head down. "But I only did it to protect Mist Hoof and the others."

Lunar Pearl flashed her a toothy smile. "Awesome!"

 _~I don't think that encouraged her to avoid fighting,~_ Twilight said in annoyance.

 _Relax, it isn't like she's going to go off and start fighting other ponies._

"Ruby, Ruby!" Lunar Pearl exclaimed as she jumped up and down while flapping her wings. "I bit a stallion the other day when he almost caught me, but I got away and made it all the way back to the penthouse without help!"

A moment of dumbfounded silence passed between Ruby and Lily Wing, the both of them staring with open mouths as Lunar Pearl stood confidently in triumph.

 _~You were saying?~_

"Lunar Pearl!" Lily Wing shouted when she came back to. "You left the penthouse!?"

Lunar Pearl immediately lowered her ears and shrunk down. "Y-Yeah… but it wasn't my fault."

"How was it not your fault!?"

Her hoof traced a circle on the carpet. "... We were playing Hide and Hunt, and I hid in the laundry room, but I didn't know that's where the laundry was taken and I fell down the chute and…"

Ruby knelt down and gently raised Lunar Pearl's chin, looking on her with concern. "Did anypony hurt you or see you?"

"N-No!" Lunar Pearl said as she pulled away. "The stallion I bit was the only one who came close to finding me. You should have seen me, Ruby! I was sneakier than a shadow, and faster than a… a… a bee!" Her proud smile returned in an instant, and she begun motioning with her hooves. "I fell down the chute and into a giant pile of clothes, and-"

Ruby and Lily Wing listened in disbelief as she recounted her tale, staring with wide eyes more for the fact that she hadn't been caught and hurt instead of the daring moments that Lunar Pearl thought were captivating them.

"-and then I hid in the cart and was brought all the way up here and I got away before he could pass the cart to Silver Platter." Finishing her story, she grinned expectantly at Ruby and Lily Wing. "Well? What do you think? Was I a good vampony or what?"

"Grounded is what you are," Lily Wing replied with a furrowed brow.

"But-"

"No 'but's, you're grounded."

"Ruuuuuby!" Lunar Pearl quickly turned to her and gave the most innocent and poutiest look Ruby had ever seen.

"Lunar Pearl," Ruby began while tactfully closing her eyes. "You could have been seen and let ponies know we're here. Even worse, you could have been hurt." She opened her eyes and saw how Lunar Pearl had shrank, her tail and wings wrapped around her body. "A vampony doesn't let themselves fall into danger needlessly. You need to be more aware of your surroundings. If you had been hurt or caught, we might not have noticed until it was too late."

Once again, Ruby lifted her chin. "Why didn't you tell somepony what had happened when you got back?"

Lunar Pearl fidgeted her hooves, but didn't turn away. "...I was worried that I was going to get in trouble… like I am now…"

Ruby stood back, keeping her eyes focused on Lunar Pearl. "You're in trouble because you didn't use your head and see what you were getting yourself into. You worried your sister and me a lot." Lunar Pearl lowered her head again, peeking from behind her tail. "Next time, pay attention to your surroundings, and don't needlessly endanger yourself or others. Understand?"

"...Yeah…"

Lily Wing flashed a thankful smile to Ruby as she walked up to Lunar Pearl. "Come on, Lunar, let's go get some breakfast."

"Okay…"

As Lunar Pearl stood to leave, Ruby quickly bent down and whispered in her ear, "Still, it must have taken a vampony of real skill to get back all on her own."

The grin that spread on Lunar Pearl's face caused Lily Wing to look at Ruby questionably, but was only given a knowing wink. Trusting that Ruby hadn't said something to cause the incident again, Lily Wing gave one last thankful nod, and guided Lunar Pearl with her wing down the hall and towards the kitchen.

 _~Couldn't have said it better myself. Except that last part.~_

Ruby mentally chuckled. _I hope this strict attitude of yours isn't permanent. She did do something impressive after all._

 _~That doesn't mean you should encourage her.~_

 _Relax, she's a tough little filly. And she'll make a fine vampony someday._

With the first calamity of the day dealt with, and what Ruby hoped would be the hardest, she continued her way towards Mist Hoof's room, debating with Twilight the entire way on if they could ask Silver Platter to filly proof the laundry room, and a dozen or so more rooms.

* * *

"Knock knock," Ruby announced as she opened the door. Looking in the room, she saw Mist Hoof sitting upright in his bed, a content smile on his face as he motioned her in.

"Princess Ruby, please, come in."

"I thought I told you to not call me that?" she playfully replied as she closed the door and made her way to a chair.

Mist Hoof gave a gruff laugh. "Well, it's not every day a pony gets to die and come back to life. I'd say it's making me feel bold enough to risk my life again calling you a princess."

"You have a strange sense of humor, you know that?" Ruby said as she sat herself. "How are you feeling?"

"Honestly?" Mist Hoof said before flexing his wings. "Not much different than normal. You sure you turned me into a vampony?"

"Actually... it wasn't me."

Mist Hoof raised an silver eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Ruby spent a moment to take a breath, then leaned forward in her chair, dropping the playful tone from earlier. "You were pretty out of it, so I don't think you can remember, but Night Walker and Shade Flare are here."

"Really," Mist Hoof replied without surprise, and more in a statement than a question. "He's got a knack at showing up at the right time. I take it he turned me then?"

"No, that'd be Shade Flare."

"Ah, so he's finally a vampony."

"Yes… and no…"

The two of them stared in silence at each other for some moments, until Mist Hoof finally exhaled in confusion. "Am I still dying on top of the table? Because this is becoming very confusing."

"No, you old fart," Ruby laughed. "Turns out I somehow made an entirely new species of vamponies that only _become_ vamponies when they drink blood. Shade Flare was the first, and he's been able to reproduce the results on other bat ponies."

"Well, that's something," Mist Hoof replied. "And here I've been staring at that shadow in the corner for the last hour trying to make it move."

"Sorry, but I don't think you could do that even if you were a vampony right now," Ruby said teasingly.

"Can't blame an old pony for trying," he merely replied while throwing off his covers and stepping out of bed. "Right, first order of business. We sticking to the original escape plan?"

"What are you talking about?"

"The plan, Ruby," Mist Hoof said while raising his hoof. "If we become found, we both decided we would evacuate everypony to a new location."

"Yes, we did," Ruby replied as she too slid off her seat. "But I don't think it's come to that yet."

"Ruby, we have no idea who those ponies were." A serious mood came over Mist Hoof, and his tone dropped as he turned to face her. "For all we know, they already know where we live. They knew you would be at that motel, and we didn't even spot them until they chased after you. We should be considering leaving while we have the chance."

"Can you at least let yourself recover before getting worked up about this?" Ruby said as she flared her horn. Using her magic, she neatly reorganised the sheets of his bed, leaving the top one open for him to crawl back under. "You may not feel like it, but you've gone through an extensive change, you need to rest even if your body doesn't feel like it."

"Ruby, this is serious."

"And so is this," she urged. "Mist Hoof, your soul has been changed, and I don't even know the full extent of those changes. You need to rest. Night Walker and I will handle anything that happens."

Mist Hoof blinked at the mention of the name, and narrowed his eyes as he looked away thoughtfully. "Night Walker…"

Ruby was in the middle of refluffing his pillows when Mist Hoof gave an odd grumph.

"Ruby, we need to talk about those mares that helped us."

Ruby didn't respond at first, choosing to finishing setting the bed exactly as she desired it to be. Eventually though, she asked in a quiet voice, "... What about them?"

"They said somethings to me, things that I don't necessarily believe but…" He turned towards her, noting that she was still facing away from him. "They helped us a lot in that fight. I saw the white one by your side, facing those ponies that were giving you a hard time. I don't know if what they said was true, but they helped us when they easily could have made it much more difficult. I'd say that at least counts for something."

"... What'd they tell you?"

"That... " he began slowly," you're Princess _Twilight_ Sparkle. You were abducted by Night Walker and… had your memories stolen. They said that they were your friends, and have been looking all over Equestria for you. They said… they missed you a lot and were worried for you."

Ruby was eerily still as she continued looking forward.

"Ruby, I-"

"I don't know why they keep insisting that I'm Twilight Sparkle," Ruby quickly said. "Or how they can expect me to believe Night Walker has been using me all this time." Turning around, she gave Mist Hoof a sidelong glance, her crimson eyes sparkling from the lamplight. "They may have helped us, but I won't tolerate their lies. When I go and see them again, I'll get to the bottom of why they are doing all of this."

Mist Hoof regarded her for a moment, before giving her a questioning look. "Not alone this time, I hope?"

Ruby replied with a smile. "No, not this time."

Mist Hoof nodded as they closed the matter, and made for the door. "I don't know about you, but I'm starving."

"Hey, come back here!" Ruby exclaimed. "You need to rest! I'll bring you some food."

"Oh, come now, Ruby. Spare an old batpony the luxury and peace of eating fruit where he wants."

Ruby scoffed, then gave a playful smile. "Unless I'm imagining it, becoming a vampony has made you more difficult to deal with."

"Night Walker did say that when we finally became vamponies, we were free to challenge each other as often as we wanted."

Ruby gave a toothy grin. "He also said that they settled those challenges with fights. Think you could take me on?"

Mist Hoof feigned fear, and raised his hoofs up as he opened the door. "Please, Princess, I wouldn't dream of challenging your authority and strength. You'd make me a stain against the wall in no time."

"That's right, I would," she cheerfully replied as she caught up with him in the hall.

 _I think I'm going to like having everyone become a vampony._

 _~Because brutishly settling all debates with fighting is the best way to deal with things,~_ Twilight dryly replied. _~Nothing more exciting than kicking and biting each other instead of reading from pages of well refined points and responses.~_

 _You make it sound so boring. There's no reason why you can't do both._

 _~Ugh.~_

As Ruby smirked at Twilight's resentment, Mist Hoof caught her attention by doing a small skip now and then while testing his wings.

"Hmmm, there might be a small spring to my step. Guess I'll have to wait until I try some blood. How does it taste?"

"Better than any of the wine in Blueblood's bar," Ruby answered. "I think you're going to like it."

* * *

"So, how do you feel?"

"Can you see through the darkness more easily?"

"Do you feel stronger at all?"

"Hey, let me see your eyes!"

The crowd of bat ponies stared in wonder as Mist Hoof set down his glass, only a few droplets of blood left at the bottom. They waited impatiently for him to finish his drink, and were now pushing against each other to get a good look at him.

"Come on, show us your eyes," one of them said again.

Smiling to himself, Mist Hoof finally opened his eyes, and revealed to them all their now crimson color. A collected breath of awe escaped the crowd, and they only huddled closer to inspect them.

"Look at that."

"Nifty."

"Mommy, will my eyes be red too? Can't they be green?"

From a distance, Ruby, along with the few batponies that weren't as impatient as the rest, watched from a table holding an assortment of fruit, happily watching the crowds reactions to the newest vampony.

"Will you look at him soak it up," Willow Shade commented. "You'd never imagine that yesterday that he was on this table and bleeding."

"Don't remind me," Cloud Shadow mumbled.

"Oh come on," Willow Shade said with a gentle hoof smack. "I saw you jump to his side during the fight. If you hadn't done that, he might have never made it back. You protected his old butt better than any of us."

Cloud Shadow scoffed and looked away, but couldn't help but let out a small smirk.

"He certainly seems to be doing well," Ruby said. "I just hope he doesn't push himself. He still needs to rest despite how good he looks."

Willow Shade waved her hoof dismissively, and replied as she took a bite out of a pear. "Thagh old timer ish touff enuff."

"Please chew your food," Ruby deadpanned.

With slightly red cheeks, Willow Shade quickly swallowed the rest, and returned to her confident demeanor. "I'd bet he could take on twenty ponies now. With all those extra powers, he could scold them all in half the time it would have taken him before!"

"I may be old, but I'm not hard of hearing! At least, not anymore," Mist Hoof shouted back.

When Willow Shade looked at him in disbelief, he merely replied by twitching his tuft ears. Afterwards, she slunk back against the table and looked away with a pout. "Bat feathers, he's gonna be worse now isn't he?"

Ruby merely smiled as she glanced over Willow Shade and the rest of the bat ponies. Seeing them all gathered like this made her heart feel full and happier than it had been in awhile. It was moments like these that she felt like she was back in the cave which seemed so long ago, back when her world was only filled with them and the comforting shadows.

Thinking back, she found it hard to believe they had come so far. Here they were, a successful transformation, and a potential cure for all the bat ponies, and they were celebrating it with a table of food on top of a tower that looked out over the world; they had indeed come a long way from the underground cave.

Turning her head to peer through the windows, she gave a happy sigh at the sight of the city line and the stars above them. The sun had descended only an hour ago, it's fiery flames now a purple tinge on the horizon. It was another beautiful night, and it made Ruby feel hopeful for the future. Even the sky seemed more colorful than usual. From the dark blue night sky, to the fading sun, even towards the streaks of colors flashing in the distance.

Ruby stiffened, then suddenly sat up from her stool and stared intensely through the window.

"Ruby? What's wrong?" Willow Shade asked.

Ruby didn't reply. Instead, she stared unblinkingly into the night sky. There, amidst the bright city lights turning on for the night, a trail of colors sped their way upwards and towards the tower.

 _Oh no…_

"Ruby? Are you alright?" Cloud Shadow asked, having too taken notice of her behavior. When she frowned and followed Ruby's gaze, she squinted at the approaching display in the distance. "What's that?"

Before anything else could be done, the charging rainbow colored blur reached the balcony, and came to a sudden halt that caused the wind to buffet the glass windows. Everypony in the room became dead silent at the sudden arrival of the pegasus floating outside the balcony. Jaws were open, fruit was half chewed, parents covered their children beneath their wings, and every pair of eyes were focused on the magenta pair that were trying to angrily peer through the tinted windows.

"Ruby! I know you're in there! Come on out!"

Everypony was motionless as she covered her eyes with her hooves to look in, and quickly resorted to banging her hoof against the glass. "Get out here, Ruby!"

Slowly, every pair of eyes shifted towards Ruby, who was glaring furiously at Rainbow Dash.

 _What does that idiot think she's doing?_

 _~I don't know, but she looks stressed.~_

 _You think she's stressed!? She came barging in and is freaking out everypony! How did she even know where we are?_

"I don't know who that mare is," Willow Shade said with in a low tone, "but let me and Cloud Shadow take care of her."

"No, I'll handle it," Ruby stated, her eyes narrowed as she revealed her fangs in annoyance. "Nopony comes outside."

With that, she hopped off her stool, and made her way to the balcony door.

"Ruby! If you don't come out in ten seconds, I'm coming in!"

Snarling in irritation, Ruby opened the door and stepped outside, closing the door behind as quickly as possible. "Will you stop shouting!?"

Rainbow Dash turned to face her, and a series of expressions played across her face before she resolutely gave her a firm look and landed in front of her. "Ruby, we need to talk."

"How did you find me?"

"That's not important, right now you-"

"It is important!" Ruby snapped. "You can't just expect to show up and start telling me we need to talk. How did you find me?"

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to yell, but gave a frustrated groan and spoke in a controlled but wavering tone. "Look, one of the ponies you guys fought without me knew where you were, and they said they were coming again tonight. And then we saw them and-"

 **"They know where we are?"**

"That's what I'm trying to tell you! But that-" Rainbow Dash said but was cut off by Ruby throwing open the balcony door and rushing inside.

"Somepony find Night Walker! Mist Hoof, we're taking that evacuation now!"

"Ruby! Hold on I-" Rainbow Dash began, but stopped as she followed her inside. Now on the other side of the glass and inside a massive living room, dozen of bat ponies were staring at Rainbow Dash with mixed expressions ranging from confusion, anger, and curiosity.

"Woah…" Rainbow Dash mumbled at seeing them all. "Uh… Hi?"

None of them replied as they returned her gaze.

"Mist Hoof, gather everypony up and start taking them to where we planned!" Ruby shouted as she rushed about the living room.

"On it!" Mist Hoof replied while cautiously looking at Rainbow Dash.

"Everypony else, get to the second floor! We're leaving now!"

"R-Ruby! Wait!"

Ruby spun around and marched straight to Rainbow Dash. "When are they going to be here?"

"I don't know, but listen to me! That isn't the only reason why I came!"

Ruby narrowed her eyes and peered behind Rainbow Dash, spotting multiple white forms in the sky approaching the tower.

Rainbow Dash saw her grit her teeth, and turned her head around to see. "Pony feathers. They're faster than I thought."

"Are you going to help me?" Ruby said coldly.

"What?" Rainbow Dash said in surprise, turning back to Ruby.

"I said, you are going to help me!?" Ruby's fangs were revealed as she snarled her muzzle and squinted her crimson eyes to the approaching pegasi. "Either you help me buy time for my ponies, or get out of here now."

Rainbow Dash looked stunned for a moment, but then nodded her head. "Yeah, you can count on me."

Ruby eyed Rainbow Dash for a moment, searching for anything that might betray her otherwise, but Rainbow Dash held a determined look, and she snorted in response. With one last glance around the living room to ensure the remaining bat ponies were on their way out, Ruby ran for the balcony with Rainbow Dash following along, and they both leapt into the sky.

"It looks like over twenty of them. Try to stall them where you can, and fight only if you have to," Ruby commanded.

"You can see them from this far?"

"Of course I can." Ruby halted in mid air, a sizeable distance from the tower and in plain view for the ponies when they arrived. Gauging the approach, she turned to Rainbow Dash. "We'll hold them here as long as possible while everyone escapes through the other side of the building. Don't let any of them make their way behind it."

"Got it."

The two of them turned forward and patiently hovered in place, watching intently as the ponies drew closer and closer.

"Hey, Ruby?"

"What?"

"... Nevermind, it's nothing." Ruby shot her a sideways glance, and saw Rainbow Dash was smiling happily. "Just glad to be helping you again, that's all."

Nothing else was said as the ponies arrived. The group of them had flown with as much speed as they could muster, but slowed to a halt once they spotted Ruby and Rainbow Dash waiting for them. From where they were, Ruby could see the expression on their faces, and how nervous most of them were, all except one pegasus who stared at them passively.

"Ready for round two?" Ruby shouted at him.

"We aren't here to fight, Princess Twilight," he called back. With a raise of his hoof, he motioned for the other pegasi to spread out. As they did, they made sure to keep the same distance between themselves and Ruby.

Rainbow Dash frowned at the pegasus. "What the hay? Is that-"

"Why do I find that hard to believe?" Ruby chided, interrupting Rainbow Dash. Turning her gaze, she looked over the rest of the pegasi. "How many of these pegasi were in the yard? I can't imagine much considering how many I killed. I'm guessing like most of your troops, they haven't seen much battle?"

The pegasi noticeably backed off when Ruby gave them a wicked grin, making sure that they could see her fangs. "I'll make sure that the ones who live will learn to never come chasing after me, or my kind ever again."

Rainbow Dash shook her gaze of disbelief in recognition of the leading pegasus, and whispered , "Ruby…"

Keeping her grin steady and eyes forward, she answered back, "What?"

"We… We aren't going to kill them… are we?"

Ruby's smile vanished and she gave Rainbow Dash a piercing stare from the corner of her eyes. "If it comes to it, I'll do anything I have to if it protects my ponies. If you can't handle it, then get out of here now."

Rainbow Dash's ears fell back, and for a moment her hovering faltered. But she soon regained control, and gulped a lump in her throat. "I'm not going to kill anypony, but I'm not going to let them get to the bat ponies either."

Ruby eyed carefully, then turned her gaze back to the pegasus. "Make sure that you do."

"Princess Ruby," he called again. "Things have changed. If you follow our orders you have my word that you and the bat ponies won't be hurt."

"And what in all of Tartarus would make you think I would do that?"

"If you don't, then we'll-" the pegasus began, but stopped as he shifted his eyes to his right. It was faint, but Ruby had caught it, and followed his gaze, turning to her left and upwards. Had she not done so, she would have never seen the two black blurs fall out of the sky, and tackle two unfortunate pegasi. Whether they had died on impact, or were just stunned, their bodies fell towards the ground, only to be saved by four other pegasi who thought it wiser to flee while they had the chance.

"Night Walker! Shade Flare!" Ruby called out in surprise. The two vamponies gave a small nod in affirmation, then set their hooves onto the rest of the pegasi. In seconds, a brawl had begun, and the rest of the pegasi dove towards them all. "Rainbow Dash, let's take care of these three and-"

 **"NIGHT WALKER!"**

Ruby flinched at Rainbow Dash's shout, and watched in disbelief as she dove towards Night Walker with furious speed. Instinctively, she flared her horn to catch her, but the charging shouts of pegasi coming straight towards her caused her to stop. Dodging the first one, Ruby swooped beneath them, and magically grabbed all three and scattered them with a throw.

 _What does she thinks she's doing?_

 _~I don't know, but we need to stop her! They shouldn't be fighting each other!~_

Ruby magically grabbed one of the pegasi that was recovering, and pulled her towards her ready fangs.

"Stop! Don't kill me! Please! I'll go, I'll go!" the mare shrieked as she was pulled closer.

Ruby closed her mouth and glared at her. After watching her squirm and tear within her grasp, Ruby let her go. At once the mare flapped madly away towards the city streets with the other two pegasi close behind her.

Ruby sneered as they fled. _This isn't a fight._ Looking around, she saw many of the other pegasi were doing the same, fleeing with all their strength away from the four combatants who had chosen to remain. Shade Flare was paired off against the fearless pegasus, the two of them expertly exchanging blows as they ducked and dived against each other, and Night Walker was facing Rainbow Dash, smiling confidently as she charged with abandon.

 **"I'LL KILL YOU!"** Rainbow Dash screamed at the top of her lungs. Night Walker however, only grinned cheerfully as he surrounded himself in a orb of shadows, to which Rainbow Dash plowed right through before turning around and dashing through it again.

 _What in Equestria is she trying to do?_

 _~Ruby! She believes Night Walker stole your memories!~_

 _Bat wings, your right. She's going to hurt herself or worse if she keeps at him like this._

Flaring her horn, Ruby flew towards the two of them, magically catching a hold of Rainbow Dash in a purple aura when she came close enough. "Rainbow Dash! Stop it!"

"LET ME GO!" Rainbow Dash screamed as she squirmed in Ruby's magic.

 _By the night, she's furious! It's hard to hold her!_

"LET ME GO! LET ME GO! I'll KILL HIM!"

Ruby squinted her eyes as she held restrained her further, wondering in amazement how she was so strong.

"Thank you for that, Ruby," Night Walker said as he flew to her side, smiling casually despite Rainbow Dash's vengeful stare. "What she lacks in experiences, she more than makes up in tenacity and speed. I'd even say she's a better aerial fighter than me."

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Rainbow Dash yelled.

Night Walker cocked his head with a toothy grin. "Come now, Rainbow Dash. Why don't we go inside and talk things out!"

"GO TO TARTARUS YOU ****"

 _~Oh my...~_

Night Walker, however, gave a mirthful laugh. "I've missed your fire. It's a shame I never got a chance to do a session with you."

"Night Walker, you've met her before?" Ruby asked, nearly letting Rainbow Dash slip from her grip in surprise.

Night Walker's smile grew thin, and he stared thoughtfully at Rainbow Dash who was still shouting obscenities at him.

"Yes, I have."

Mindfully keeping her focus on her magic, Ruby turned her head towards him with a questionable look. "Who is she?"

"She, my dear Ruby, is a nuisance that will soon be dealt with."

Ruby watched in confusion as Night Walker slowly hovered his way towards her, parting his mouth slightly to reveal his fangs.

"If you lay a single hoof on me," Rainbow Dash growled, "I'M GOING TO BEAT YOUR FLANK ALL THE WAY TO THE CRYSTAL KINGDOM!"

Night Walker hovered closer, causing Ruby's focus on her magic to waver.

 _~Ruby! You've got to let her go!~_

 _But if I do, she'll-_

 _~Night Walker is going to kill her! You can't let him!~_

Ruby strained to keep her magic in control as she watched Night Walker come beside Rainbow Dash. He looked at her hungrily, while Rainbow Dash craned her neck as far as she could while still giving him a death glare.

 _~RUBY!~_

 _I… I…_

"Um… what's going on here?"

All three of them paused, then turned their heads to see an unexpected visitor watching a short distance away with a bag of groceries.

"Gilda!?" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

"Rainbow? Is that you?" Gilda said as she peered through the darkness. "What are you doing here? Who's that?" she asked pointing a claw to Night Walker. She then turned her head, and nearly dropped her bag when she did a double take at Ruby. "Holy bird droppings, you guys found Princess Twilight?"

The three of them were at loss for words as they stared at Gilda, until Rainbow Dash shouted, "Gilda! Get away from here!"

Spurred into action from her shout, Night Walker tucked his wings and dove down then upwards towards Gilda.

"Hey! Get away from me! What are you doing?"

Dropping her bag, she deftly avoided Night Walker, but he pursued her quickly and relentlessly. When he revealed his fangs and snarled at her, a fearful expression appeared on Gilda's face, and her wings locked up for a moment, long enough for Night Walker to seize her.

Grabbing her shoulders from behind, he tightened his grip on her until she wasn't able to flap, and was afloat entirely by his grasp.

"H-Hey! Let me go!" Gilda squirmed and slashed with her claws, but Night Walker held her still by gently biting onto her neck, applying enough pressure to freeze her in place but not enough to draw blood.

"I'd stay still if I were you," he said between his teeth. "It's been sometime since I've had griffon, and you wouldn't want to tempt me by squirming."

"Let her go!" Rainbow Dash cried as she thrashed about, forcing Ruby to focus on holding her even more.

"Rainbow Dash! Calm down! I'll let you go if you just stop!" Ruby pleaded.

"No! I need to stop him!"

Night Walker removed his mouth from Gilda's neck, and looked smugly towards Rainbow Dash. "Don't worry about it too much, Ruby. She's a bit stubborn to listen to any reason."

"R-Rainbow Dash…" Gilda stammered. "W-What's going on?"

"Gilda! You're going to be okay!" Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth as tears began to flow down her cheeks. "Don't hurt her! Please!" Whipping her head to Ruby, Rainbow Dash gave her a painful and pleading expression. "Ruby! Please! Let me go and stop him! We need to stop him!"

Ruby looked back and forth between her and Night Walker, opening and closing her mouth in indecision. "I… I don't…"

 _~Ruby, he's going to kill them! You've got to stop him!~_

 _No, he isn't. I… I…_

 _~Ruby!~_

"Please, let me go," Gilda weakly said. "I… I don't know what's going on, but I don't want any part of it. Just let me go."

"I'm sorry dear," Night Walker soothingly said. "It seems you just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. And being an acquaintance of that hot headed pegasus doesn't help either."

"N-Night Walker," Ruby said after swallowing a lump in her throat. "We don't have to kill them. Rainbow Dash helped me, and we have no idea who that griffin is. The bat ponies are safe, they've all probably left the tower by now." Ruby felt how oddly dry her mouth was, despite having a bottle of blood before this mess had started. "We can just let them go, can't we?"

Night Walker gave her an intense and scrutinizing glare, so much that Ruby became deathly silent and hovered backwards. He was staring at her in a way she had never seen him do before, and it was unnerving her in ways she couldn't explain.

"Ruby…" he began slowly, bringing a faint smile to her lips. "... I'm very disappointed in how you turned out."

Ruby's smile fell, along with her ears, and she soon found it hard to even keep herself aloft. "W… What do you mean?"

A eerie silenced pass through the sky as Ruby stared questionably, and fearfully at Night Walker. His warm expression was gone, his reassuring smile had faded into a passive line, and his eyes stared coldly at her like some discarded item.

A knot tore itself into Ruby's chest, and the wind picked up with a sudden flurry.

It had begun slowly at first, a soft hum in the distance that was barely audible. But as the seconds passed, it's noise grew, and the vibrations in the air were more and more noticeable. Flicking her ears in surprise, Ruby turned her head to the west, and saw a faraway but blazing light approaching the city, like a hot meteor of white fire that threatened to destroy all within its path.

"It seems we don't have the time to properly deal with these two," Night Walker said as he too turned to view the small but growing distant light. "Ruby, let her go, it's time we head back to the penthouse."

"But… Rainbow Dash…" Ruby asked, finding it difficult to even form words.

"Don't worry about her, she'll be more than preoccupied with _this_."

With a flex of his hooves, followed by the snapping of bones, Night Walker crushed where Gilda's wings met with her shoulders, and dropped her from the sky.

 _"GILDA!"_ Rainbow Dash screamed at the top of her lungs.

Stunned, Ruby slipped on her concentration, and Rainbow Dash tore free, diving down with red eyes as Gilda screamed while she plummeted to the streets.

When the two of them became muffled by distance and the upper winds, a chilling quietness filled the space, and Ruby stared in disbelief as Gilda and Rainbow Dash vanished into the lights of the city below, half aware of the tears that had crept on the edge of her eyes.

"Let's go, Ruby," Night Walker commanded as he flew passed her.

She flinched in shock, then slowly hovered back to follow him, unable to pull her eyes from the city.

 _~Ruby… how could you let him...~_

Ruby opened her mouth to reply aloud, but found no words.

 _~How could you… How...~_

Shaking her head slowly, she reluctantly tore her eyes away, and flew after Night Walker.

 _~... Why did you let him?~_

 _I… I didn't know… I..._

 _~They could both be dead! Why did you let him do that!?~_

 _They were… they would have… he said they'd be enemies… but..._

 _~You could have stopped him!~_

Ruby's vision became blurry, and she wiped away the stream of tears that had formed. She looked at her wet hoof questionably, still shocked at what had happened.

 _I… I don't…_

Gritting her teeth, she threw herself forward with all her might to reach the balcony, nearly tumbling to her knees when she landed onto it. Her knees were weak, her breath was short, and the knot inside of her chest grew more painful by the moment.

"Ruby!"

Ruby's ears snapped forward, and she turned her head to see Applejack and Rarity standing in the doorway to the penthouse. "What… what are you...?"

With just one look at her, the two of them rushed forward and wrapped their hooves around her. "Darling, what happened? Where's Rainbow Dash? She charged ahead of us before we could stop her but-"

"Rarity," Applejack interrupted, and with a dark tone.

Looking up, she saw Applejack staring hard in front of them, and when she followed her gaze, Rarity saw Night Walker only a few steps away, smiling casually at the three of them.

" _Night Walker,_ " Rarity said, feeling herself slip immediately into the state she had been in the construction yard. Her eyes widened to catch as much light as she could, and her muscles tensed as she prepared herself. The difference this time however, was that she was not devoid of emotion like last time, and she openly showed it by clenching her jaw. "How dare you show up like this."

"So hostile, Rarity," he replied calmly. "And here I've been looking forward to this eventual reunion. Not how I imagined it, mind you."

"Yer in for a world of hurt, you rotten ****," Applejack said.

Night Walker gave a sly grin, and turned his head to the city lights. "Funny, Rainbow Dash had said the same thing."

Surprise flashed over Applejack's face, but was quickly replaced by seething anger. "What did you do to her?"

"I assure you," he said with a toothy smile. "I didn't harm a single hair on her. She left all on her own. "

Applejack and Rarity stepped forward, placing themselves in front of Ruby. But the rising wind, followed by a sudden heat, washed over them, and drew their attention upward.

"Ah, and here's the main event," Night Walker said cheerfully.

In a blinding light, a large fireball came barreling through the sky and towards the tower, only to stop shy of some dozen feet and disperse into fragments of white flames. There, hovering with a visible light that brightened the face of the balcony, was Princess Celestia, the flames of her expedient travel still lingering on her form, and her eyes a brilliant white.

 **"Night Walker,"** she resentfully said in the Canterlot Voice.

"Princess Celestia, good to see you again as well," he replied with a small bow.

Her eyes narrowed at his reply, and the trailing flames burned with further intensity. However, as her eyes moved across the balcony, she spotted Applejack, Rarity, and between them, Ruby's huddled form.

"Twilight…" Celestia whispered, her furrowed brow giving way to a sorrowful expression. At once her flames extinguished, and her white eyes dimmed to their pink hues. Slowly, she landed herself onto the balcony, and stepped towards her. "Twilight…"

As Celestia drew closer, Ruby's weak legs stiffened beneath her, and she found renewed strength alongside a kindled fire. "Don't… you… come… a step… CLOSER!" Ruby screamed as she stood up.

Applejack and Rarity flinched at her shout, and parted between her and Celestia, who wore a look of shock, then pain.

"Twilight—"

"I'M NOT TWILIGHT!" Ruby screamed. Stomping her hoof, she flared her wings and pointed her horn towards Celestia. "Don't you dare call me that! Not after what you've done to me! What you've done to my ponies!"

Celestia opened her mouth, but the vengeful glare from Ruby silenced her. With fresh tears, she whipped her head to Night Walker and flared her horn with a bright light. **"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER!?"**

Before Celestia could unleash her magic, however, a sudden purple aura appeared around her horn, and interrupted her casting with an overload of magic. Gasping in surprise, she turned back, and saw Ruby snarling defiantely.

"Do you like what I've done?" Night Walker chimed in, causing all their ears to turn to him. "It took sometime, but I managed to create a wonderful new persona. Unfortunately, she didn't hold up to my expectations in the end, but she did the job well enough. It just happens that she is no longer needed."

Applejack, Rarity, and Celestia gave Night Walker death glares as their bodies tensed, but the soft words from Ruby held them in place. "Night Walker… what are you talking about?" Lifting her head, Ruby stepped towards him. "What's going on? Why aren't we fighting her?"

Night Walker turned his gaze to Ruby, and she saw for a moment a soft expression pass across his face. "Ruby, I really did enjoy our time together. Truly, I did. You have been everything I had imagined you to be." He raised his leg, shadows swirling about his hoof, leaving a diamond amulet in their wake.

"What are you doing?" Celestia growled.

Night Walker merely smiled at her, and brought the amulet close to his mouth. "Once again, leaving things to fate."

With a faint whisper that even Ruby could not hear, Night Walker spoke onto the amulet, and it began pulsing with newfound life. With a blinding light, the amulet rose from his hoof, and shook with powerful magic, unlocking the bonds it held on it's contents. Ruby felt her breath catch, and her legs lock into place, held by the magic that was pouring out of the amulet. With wide eyes, Ruby stared fearfully towards the amulet, unable to move or scream at the pull it had on her. Then, in a flashing of colors, a pulse of light left the amulet, and flung itself directly into Ruby.

The surge of magic caused Ruby to scream, and she felt an alien sensation fill her body, mind, and soul. Collapsing to her knees, she stared wildly at the ground as the magic wove and tore its way through her.

"Ruby! What's wrong!"

"Twilight!"

"Ruby!"

The ponies were shouting around her, but she could not tell who was who. The sounds of magic being unleashed and Night Walker's taunting laughter dimly heard, but she could hardly focus on them due to the mind numbing feeling inside her. She could even barely feel the pair of hooves shaking her while their owner yelled in her ear.

Then, between the ravaging magic assaulting her body, a new pain arose. It built slowly, rising up from her very core to the front of her focus, burning with raw emotion. It was the pain of memories, and they flooded Ruby's mind so much that she thought her head would explode.

In a what was a ear piercing scream, or a soundless one—she could no longer tell—Ruby's horn flared, and the world around her vanished at the unconscious act of spellcasting. A moment later, the hard balcony floor had been replaced with soft grass, and bright lights of the city and Celestia's magic had been traded for the darkness of the countryside.

She was far away from the amulet, but its magic still churned inside of her.

Shoving her hoof into the grass, Ruby's pupils dilated as memory after memory resurfaced in her mind, colliding with the ones she already held.

 _It's too much..., R_ uby thought with tearful eyes.

 _~A… Applejack...~_ Twilight breathed.

 _It's too much…_

 _~Rarity, Rainbow Dash...~_

 _Ebon Wing, Cloud Shadow._

 _~Pinkie Pie!~_

 _M… M… Mist Hoof… Lu… Lunar…_

 _~Fluttershy, Shining Armor!~_

 _Lil..y... Wing..._

 _~Spike! Celestia!~_

 _Night… Walker…_

Ruby closed her overflowing eyes, and gripped the grass until chunks were being torn.

 _~I remember them. I can remember them! Ruby, We can remember!~_

 _No… not we… it was… never 'we'..._

 _~What are you saying?~_

Ruby clutched her stomach with her hooves as she fell onto the ground, shaking with exasperated breaths.

 _I'm... not real… I'm not... real…_ she quietly said in a mantra like fashion.

 _~Ruby! Calm down! Everything isn't back in place yet, the memories are still returning!~_

 _I'm not real… I'm not real… I'm n ~ot… real...~_

 _~Ruby… wh~at are you doing?_

 _~Not real… never was… not real...~_

Twilight felt their inner world contort and shift, and she gasped in surprise at the newfound control she had over the body. The sensations of the grass were now more vivid, and the cold autumn air filled her lungs in a way she never knew, until those memories slowly worked their way back her as well.

Staring at the ground in shock, Twilight felt and saw each piece of her life came back to her, flashing over her vision briefly like the pages of a long forgotten book. And with it, she could feel Ruby slip deeper and deeper inside of her.

"Ruby…" she whispered.

 _~... I'm not real...~_

"Ruby!" Twilight shouted, feeling her own tears beginning to replace the ones that trailed down her already-stained cheeks as Ruby fell into the deeper recesses of her being.

 **"Ruby!"**


	37. Chapter 37

Heavy clouds rolled over the countryside, bringing a dark and looming presence as they filled the night sky. With the sun gone and the night beginning, they appeared as nothing more than an inky landscape, bloated with the weight of rain that had been stored in them throughout the day.

The slumbering storm moved about in its early stages, sending a chilling wind to the ground below that rattled the autumn leaves and long grass, an unsettling lull before the eventual torrent.

In the distance, the city sparkled with the bustle of night life, its bright lights and noise hardly reaching the countryside. All was quiet in the lone field nestled between the woods, save for the stirring of the impending storm, and the quivering breaths of a pony whose tears wet the ground before the sky could begin.

Twilight sat in a crater of crumpled grass, her damp eyes glimmering from the far away towering lights, but she could not see them despite their height, nor could she feel the slight chill of the wind, or even notice the rustling branches of the trees nearby. There were only the tears in her eyes, the clenching in her chest, and the memories appearing one after another.

Twilight gasped again as another piece of her returned, and with it, a new choked sob that threatened to buckle her knees.

"...M-Mom... Dad..."

She saw herself as a filly running through a hallway, desperately trying to return a book before it became overdue as her parents slowly walked behind her.

"Spike..."

The heat from his scales that kept her bed warm at night, back when they were both young and spent every minute with each other, a constant source of fire that would banish all the fears and doubts that she had gathered from the day.

"The school… Canterlot..."

Sitting in a classroom with dusty chalk, reading a book beneath a candle flame at home, walking through streets carrying grocery bags, and marveling at the view Canterlot held over the land. Bit by bit, pieces of her life came back to her, bringing with them the emotions and thoughts that had filled her at the time. It was like rereading a vaguely familiar book at a rapid pace, except that the book was her own life, and each page was ingrained with a shuddered breath.

Twilight stared agape at the ground in front of her, unable to help but become whisked away at each returning memory, each of them bringing another wave of pain and happiness that wrenched her gut.

"G-Girls..."

She could remember that fateful day, and all the others that followed it. Arriving in Ponyville, throwing Pinkie Pie's birthday, a sleepover with Rarity and Applejack, tea at Fluttershy's cottage, Rainbow Dash teaching her how to fly. All of those moments, big and small, flowed back to her, and it made her face contort as fresh tears appeared and her jaw clenched tightly.

"Girls..."

Twilight dug her hooves into the ground as her wings shook; too many memories, too many moments of happiness and sadness, too much of her life that had been inadvertently lost rushing back in one gale of nostalgia.

 _Girls, Celestia, Spike, Mom, Dad, Zecora, Luna... everyone!_

A faint laugh escaped her lips between her sobbing, and slowly but surely, a smile appeared on her anguished face.

 _I remember... I remember!_ It started out as a hoarse noise between chokes, a single defiant chuckle that came between all the pain. She wasn't exactly sure why she did, but as another one forced it's way through, she couldn't care to figure out why. In moments, she couldn't tell if she was laughing or crying more. "I can remember! I can remember it all!"

Turning her head up, she laughed uncontrollably despite the gloom above her. Her painful tears were been replaced with ones of happiness, and she welcomed them with a glow in her chest as they flowed freely. "I can remember it all!" she said between her wheezes. "My life, my friends! Everything!"

With a shimmer in her eyes, Twilight screamed in joy at the sky above her. She had never felt so overwhelmed, so confused, and so alive, that she couldn't help but let the heavens themselves know it as well.

At once she threw open her wings, and gave another joyful, ear piercing scream. "I'm Twilight Sparkle!"

Her voice echoed across the fields, and it became drowned by the low rumble of the sky stirring above. The unbridled moment, however, was short lived as the final days of her past trickled into her mind. They were a small and insignificant amount of her memories compared to the rest of her life dancing around her mind, but they held the most impact on her of all, and with them, a name echoed beneath her thoughts.

 _Night Walker._

Twilight became deathly quiet, and her smile fell away as she continued staring wide-eyed at the looming clouds.

 _Night Walker._

Without blinking, Twilight tilted her head back down, unaware that she had even stopped breathing. A numbness came over her, and her mind locked onto that single name as she sat still, slowly and hesitantly letting herself piece together the memories that dreged themselves forward.

A smile, a laugh, gleaming red eyes, painful fangs, and a diamond amulet.

A chill passed through Twilight's body, and her breathing resumed with quickening speed.

 _He tricked me. No... he used me... He turned me into a... into a..._

Her chest fluttered as each breath came in faster than the last, but still painfully slow to the rapid thoughts flashing across her mind.

 _He was a vampony... He stole my memories… He stole my memories! Celestia, he... he..._

Twilight's legs finally buckled, and she fell to the ground. Her eyes glazed over as she shifted them in a maddening fashion, and her body began to shake.

 _By Celestia! They... He..._

 _~... Twilight...~_

Twilight gasped, and turned her head to see who had spoken her name. Blinking in confusion, she saw only the swaying grass and trees around her at the edge of the field, some of their branches already bare. She furrowed her brow in worry that she had imagined the voice, but it only took moments for the realization to sink in, and for her to remember who it was that had spoken her name.

 _You..._

 _~Please, calm down,~_ Ruby whispered softly. Her voice was without energy, and was spoken in a dull tone.

At first, Twilight could hardly feel Ruby's consciousness within her, but with effort and concentration she lifted Ruby out of the recesses of her being. It was then that Twilight realized how weakened the amulet had left Ruby, leaving her as nothing but a hollow fragment of her previous self. Ruby weakly touched Twilight's mind in grievance, but Twilight did not reply in kind, and her shocked expression changed into a furious gaze that only hinted at her budding anger.

 _ **You!**_

Ruby stiffened, and recoiled her consciousness back somewhat from Twilight.

 _~Twilight,~_ Ruby said, finding energy at the growing ire towards her. _~I didn't… I never even-~_

 **"Shut up!"** Twilight hopped onto her hooves, and glared at the first thing her eyes could lock onto. _You almost killed them! You were going to let Night Walker kill Rainbow Dash! You… You…_

Twilight narrowed her eyes as she attempted to recall everything that had happened while she was lost from the amulet, all the nights she spent awake, the faces and names she had learned, everything she could grasp. She searched and tore through a past that was not hers, and grew more furious with each dark and disturbing memory that she could now analyze with her restored mind.

 _~Twilight, stop! It hurts!~_ Ruby cried, desperately trying to bar Twilight from going further. _~Most of these are mine! You can't force them like this, it won't work!~_

 _Shut up! You're nothing but Night Walker's pet! His experiment on me!_ Twilight clenched her teeth as she felt Ruby's pain from the remark, and stamped her hooves at the rest of her emotions. _Stop doing that! You deserve it!_

 _~You think I deserve this!?~_ Ruby shouted back. _~You think I wanted any of this!?~_

Twilight shook her head as Ruby's feelings becoming stronger, mingling together their sorrow, anger, and pain. "Stop it! Stop it! You're nothing but an illusion! A figment of _my_ imagination!"

 _~I didn't… Why am I… I didn't...~_

Twilight listened hatefully as Ruby's words trailed off, then flattened her ears when Ruby began to softly cry in her head. Her echoing sobs that were all too similar to Twilights, and her own feelings of remorse and confusion caused Twilight to shake her head more and flare her wings.

"Stop it! I don't want to feel you!"

Ruby continued to cry, falling deeper into her own pit of feelings that only made Twilight more furious, but also made _her_ tears flow as well.

"S-Stop it" Twilight demanded with a faint breath.

Closing her eyes, she recalled the fragmented memories of Soul Sight, and opened her eyes to reveal a white look of fury. With reckless abandon, she turned her gaze inward, and began tearing apart the fibers that held even a tinge of red.

 _~What are you doing!?~_ Ruby screamed.

 _I'm getting rid of you! I'm getting rid of all of this!_ Twilight shouted back. Even as she thought the last word, she ripped apart a tingling section, causing her body to jerk to the right before she fell to her knees.

 _~Stop! You'll kill us!~_

With frustrated screams, Twilight grabbed and ripped piece after piece, shredding fibers and bridges without consideration all the while feeling repulsed at the sight of them and even her ability to see them. Another section haphazardly torn, and Twilight screamed as she spasmed, falling to her side. In moments her Soul Sight flickered out from deep internal pain.

 _~You have to stop! You'll die!~_

 _Just like how you wanted to kill me!?_

 _~What are you talking about!?~_

Twilight forced herself back into a sitting position, and stared hatefully towards some spot in the distance.

 _I remember what you did! How you rejected me and pushed me down! How you almost killed me like you did to everypony else!_ As she glared forward, Twilight paused her fury for a moment, and she brought a hoof to her mouth. _Celestia… You killed them… You made me kill ponies… I'm a… I'm a murderer!_

 _~Twilight, please. You need to calm down!~_

"You made me a murderer!" Twilight screamed. "Celestia! I can remember their faces! How they looked at me! How…" Twilight paused again, and in a flash, Ruby felt the heat of her anger rise anew. "You… You killed them… You made me like this!"

 _~Twilight!~_

 _It's all your fault! You're the reason behind all of this! I tried to stop you but you never listened! You kept listening to Night Walker! You're the reason why so many ponies are dead!_ With a despairing scream, Twilight re-summoned her Soul Sight, and tore into the shredded pieces again. But she only managed seconds of destruction before she let loose another scream, and collapsed back to the ground, her white eyes fading back to their crimson red instantly.

 _~Please, Twilight!~_ Ruby desperately pleaded while crying openingly. Their mirror landscape appeared to both of them, with Ruby now inside the mirror. Her face was equally tear-stained as Twilight's, and her face was torn between the torment inside of her. With a begging look, she placed a hoof onto the mirror. ~ _Twilight… I don't know what's going on. I don't know why any of this happened. I don't even understand what **I** am. But please, we can't be like this. I know you're scared but-_

Shaking her head, Twilight forced the image away. "Why won't you shut up!" she shouted with a painful cry. Twilight lifted her hoof, and began repeatedly bashing it into the ground. "Shut up, shut up, shut up! Why can't you just go away! Why can't you leave me alone! It's all your fault! All your fault! You did this! Just leave me alone, you monster!"

Ruby was quiet for some moments, before tentatively summoning the mirror scape again. With her ears flattened, and her demeanor crestfallen, she looked to Twilight. _~Do you really hate me that much?~_

Instead of throwing away the mental scenery again, Twilight forced herself to walk to the mirror and lean towards Ruby as close as she dared. _You're nothing but a monster that's ruined my life! You're not real! You never were! All you are is a tool for Night Walker so that he could use me!_ Then, simultaneously, Twilight mentally raised her hoof, all while filling her real lungs with as much air as she could and shouted to the heavens, **"You should never have existed!"**

Swinging it down, Twilight smashed the mirror, scattering fragments into the bare room around them. She let loose a resounding scream from the connections that shattered, and clenched her eyes shut in the agony of both the pain and the memories of her pseudo-past.

A portion Ruby's aghast face stared out to her from the pieces that still hung in place, and she fell to her knees as her feelings flowed through the remaining connections.

"No! I don't want to feel you! I hate you! Go away!" Twilight screamed as she covered her head with her forehooves. With one last throat tearing scream, Twilight's anger vanished beneath everything else that had been buried beneath for the time being, and she began sobbing uncontrollably into the ground. "Just go away… Go away… It's too much… Please… Go away…"

A new pain washed out from Ruby, but to Twilight's small thankfulness, it began to dull, and the mirrorscape vanished. Slowly, Ruby's presence sunk deeper inward, and Twilight soon only felt her own emotions.

Between her anguished cries, Twilight curiously poked inwards in disbelief that Ruby actually went away for good. However, when she found that Ruby had somehow only vanished enough to not make herself easily felt, Twilight gritted her teeth and pulled back away from her like she was a disease.

With the semi-peace of having only her own thoughts and feelings inside her mind and heart, Twilight cried long and hard into the ground, not even aware that the clouds had begun to rain as well.

* * *

Hours passed, and Twilight didn't move from her spot in the field. She hadn't realized how much time had passed until the first trickle of the sun's rays peered over the horizon and touched her soaked coat. Wincing from the feeling, she lifted her head and turned to the dawn, squinting her eyes to see it. For the first time during her night of downfallen numbness, a ghost of a smile appeared on her face from seeing Celestia's sun, and with it, countless memories of her. Like the sun's rays banishing the spent clouds above, so too did thoughts of Celestia send away her anguish.

Twilight eagerly recalled memories of her time spent with her mentor. When Celestia had looked proudly at Twilight, the times where she wrapped a wing around her in comfort or guidance, and the sensations that filled her whenever Celestia would hold her tight during the more difficult times; all of them as warming as the sun that rose higher and higher.

Yet, as it rose, Twilight sucked in a breath, and her body shivered from the adverse reaction of the sun's light. With a choke that threatened to send her spiraling down again, Twilight raised her damp hooves and held them in the light. The sun didn't burn, but it was far from comfortable to say the least. It felt _wrong_ being in the light, and sudden instinctual desires urged her to find a dark and soothing place.

Having thought she had cried all the tears from her body, Twilight looked to her hoof in remorse as a small stream of tears trailed down her cheek.

Her mentor's once reassuring and comforting light was now a nearly physical, painful reminder of the tragedies that had befallen her. Thoughts of what Celestia was doing now crossed her mind, and she wondered how Celestia would ever look at her with a proud smile again. How would she ever reassuringly touch her now that she was a monster? Twilight couldn't even imagine how she would face her again after all the things she had done, the alien and dark thoughts she had of her, and the things she said on the balcony.

With a sickly contortion of her chest, Twilight knew that she would never again know the sun's soothing warmth in the way she had used to. Never again would she be connected to Celestia as she had been before.

More hours passed, and the sun steadily climbed into the sky. During that time, Twilight didn't dare move from her spot, her coat already long dried from the light. With an unnaturally fierce determination, she willed herself past instincts and sleep to stay where she was and let the sun shine onto her, all while silently wishing it's rays would somehow burn away all the awful things inside of her.

More than once a tear fell from the pain that came from such prolonged exposure.

As time passed, the sun made its way through the sky, and descended to the other side of the horizon. When at last it fell behind the trees, a relieved breath came from Twilight as the soothing shadows covered her, but it was quickly replaced with a hoof smack into the ground at having felt so. A small hole of crushed grass and dirt was next to her, the target of her full strength and anger during similar moments throughout her time since her arrival in the field.

Soon, the sun was nothing but a blazing glimmer, washing the sky with the evening colors before the eventual arrival of glittering stars. With a repulsive grumble in her stomach that brought another tear to Twilight's eye from its cause, she reluctantly stood up. Still in the shock like state that had never truly left her, and in a zombie like fashion, she began walking forward, away from Fillydelphia.

With a wide berth to the house lights that appeared in the distance when the sun finally dipped over the horizon, Twilight kept walking in a single direction. Her body ached in pain from sitting in the sun all day, her mind screamed in urgency to sleep, and a small but distinct warmth appeared in her throat for something particular to quench it,; the one desire she was determined to ignore the most. Instead of succumbing to them, she steadily trudged on, abandoning all sense of reason for the one thing she needed, the one place she had to go.

Ponyville.

* * *

Twilight gasped as she awoke, and looked about with wide eyes at her surroundings. She was at the foot of a tree, hidden within an outlet between hills. From beneath its branches, she saw the sun was already up, and nearing its halfway mark in the sky. Cursing silently, Twilight wearily stood herself up, and moved to begin her trek again.

 _Pony Feathers, I slept half the day away._ With an irritable grumble as she left the tree's shadows, she squinted her eyes ahead of her to make out her makeshift path. _I suppose it would take more than a single night to readjust my sleeping schedule. I did only fall asleep just a few hours before the sun came up, I think._

Blinking profusely, she glanced upwards. _Lost at least a few miles of headway already. I should find a road soon, see how far west I've gone. Ponyville can't be more than a few days of walking away, maybe one if I fly once my wings feel up to it. Hopefully._ She gave a brief test of her wings, and winced at not being able to feel the familiar sensation of lift they used to provide her. Instead, they felt dull and lifeless.

Casting the worry aside, she forced herself to stare into the sky as long as she could. Nearly a minute passed before the bright blue sky became too much, and she reluctantly turned her head down, shamefully hiding her eyes beneath her bangs for comfort.

 _I wonder which library I should go to first? Canterlot has some notable books, but the Crystal Empire has an older selection. And it did exist a thousand years ago, maybe a cure for vampirism was a popular book and on one of the shelves I haven't seen yet._

Thinking of the foundations of such a cure caused thoughts of the bat ponies to rise to mind, the failed subjects of Celestia's attempts to remove the vampirism.

Twilight sighed. _It's going to be hard to figure it out if even Celestia hadn't figured out a cure. Lily Wing told me what they've had gone through, how many unicorns visited her and Lunar-_

Twilight stopped in place, and after a few heartbeats of realization, shook her head side to side.

"No, Twilight!" she told herself. "Don't think of them! They're with Ruby and Night Walker. They didn't know me, the real me!"

Closing her eyes, she cast away the names and faces that appeared in her mind.

 _They ran away from Dusk Town, which means they're willing to become vamponies and kill other ponies! It's their fault for not trusting in science and magic to cure them like they should have done. No pony should want to have… this!_

Blowing the bangs away from her eyes and opening them, she strode forward again.

 _They should have stayed there. I'm sure I would have found out about them eventually and helped them out. They should have waited for the cure to be found. They would have been better off if they didn't believe vampirism was even an option._

The stories from Lily Wing, Mist Hoof, and the others played across her mind again, and with it, the defects that plagued them. Ponies having stillbirths, crippling mutations appearing later in life, and young ponies dying before they even reached adulthood. Lunar Pearl's smiling face flashed across her mind again.

Twilight bit her lip, and shook away the thoughts, firmly fixing her gaze onto the ground ahead of her while trying to think of other things. As she did, a small twinge inside her drew her attention, and she paused in place once again.

Narrowing her eyes, she stared down at her chest. _What is **she** doing?_

Twilight hadn't spoken to Ruby since she broke the mirror, hoping that somehow she had shattered any and all connections with her. But from the knowledge of souls that she could recall from Ruby's filtered memories, she knew she hadn't gotten rid of her entirely. She also knew what she had almost done to herself back in the field was very dangerous.

But more than once since their separation, she had felt a stirring inside. They were small and she quickly dismissed them, but their consistent occurrence clued her that it wasn't another threat of her heart and mind breaking down again, and was instead caused by her unwelcome passenger.

After a mile of tense consideration and thinking, Twilight hesitantly summoned her Soul Sight and cautiously peeked inward. At first she bit her lip when she saw the damaged sections of her soul, unable to even comprehend how to begin fixing them. But further looking with her limited knowledge showed that some of the areas had been repaired, replaced, or even rerouted. Curious at the changes, she dug deeper, and inadvertently bumped into Ruby's consciousness.

 _~...~_

 _…_

Twilight quickly pulled herself back, and dismissed the Soul Sight. Staring hard at the ground, she narrowed her eyes. "At least she's been quiet," she grumbled.

Resuming her pace, Twilight ran over her checklist once again, one of the few things that wasn't entirely depressing that had been focusing on to pass the time.

 _Before removing the vampirism, I should probably learn what I can about manipulating the soul from her to make sure I'm doing it right. If I recall, Celestia hadn't been able to do it, so maybe that's the final puzzle in a cure. How do I get it though? Do I just merge memories with her? Or do I get her to teach me? Even then, will she go away after I cure myself, or do I need to get rid of her afterwards. Pony feathers, will she even cooperate while knowing that I'm going to get rid of her?_

Crossing over a hill, Twilight paused at the sight of a winding creek that flowed in front of a forest, and gulped in thirst at its sparkling surface. Bringing a hoof to her throat, Twilight rubbed the section that had been steadily increasing in irritation, a slight burning sensation emanating from it. _I hope water will work._

With her eyes locked onto the creek, she made her way down the hill and towards the shallow edge, peering closely at her reflection in its shifting surface. Staring at herself, she grimaced at the faint sight of her crimson eyes, and quickly dipped her head to drink mouthfuls of the fresh water.

Gulp after gulp, she drank heavily from the creek. Yet, despite how much she did, the slight burn in her throat never vanished, and the irritation only intensified. Twilight forcibly made herself continue drinking until her stomach became full, and she despondently pulled away from the creek.

Water streamed down her face, as well as new tears.

 _I need to figure this out soon. It's getting worse, and I don't know what to do with it. I can't possibly drink b… blo…_

Unable to even think of the word, Twilight shook her head and stretched her wings. Though they felt stiff and weak, she felt the familiar weightlessness they provided for her, and flapped them tentatively with a small smile.

 _Looks like they're working again. Maybe now I can fly home._

With a few practice strokes to ensure correct form, she lifted herself over the creek and began to aim above the treeline, but the loud and excitable laughter of a pony caused her to fumble her balance, and she fell back to the ground. Scrambling onto her hooves, her ears swiveled to the noisy group of ponies behind her crossing over the hill, and she charged into the forest for cover.

Feeling confident she was hidden well enough a few tree rows back, she cautiously peeked her head out, and saw a group of fillies and colts rushing towards the creek.

"Rawr! I am the evil monster! I will take you and steal all your cookies!"

The remaining children laughed and screamed as the loud colt ran after them.

"Eeek! Help us!"

"A monster is coming!"

"Don't worry, I'll save you!"

Twilight watched in curiosity as a filly pegasus fluttered herself above the pretend-frightened children, and blocked the monsters path.

"I am Princess Twilight, and I will stop you!"

Twilight blinked and leaned closer to see.

"Why are you Princess Twilight?" the 'monster' said.

"Yeah, we need Princess Celestia or Princess Luna. They're more powerful."

"Nuh uh!"

"Yeah, huh!"

The filly landed back amongst the group, and turned her head upwards. "Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are awesome, but Princess Twilight is even more awesome!

Twilight's ears flattened.

"How do you know?"

"Because I do!" Waving her hoof, the filly hovered back into the air. "She's kind, strong, has awesome friends, you can always trust her, and she's really smart! Nothing can beat her! And even if she's in trouble, she's got her friends! With them, nothing bad can happen, which is why we're going to stop that monster together!"

While the rest of them cheered in unison at her proclamation, Twilight's heart fell.

"Yeah, nothing can stop us!"

"Nope! We're going to be friends forever, and stop everything evil thing that comes our way!"

"H-Hey! Next time someone else gets to be the monster," the colt whined.

"Don't worry, you will," the filly said with a smile. "Now, get him!"

With resounding laughter, the rest of the fillies and colts charged the 'monster', tumbling about in a pile of giggles and hoof smacks, unaware of Twilight slowly disappearing into the forest.

* * *

With a wheezy breath, Twilight trudged up the last few steps of the hill, her eyes expertly seeing each stone and branch in the cover of darkness. The sun had set some hours ago, and her wings were sore from pushing them so hard. But she pushed on, taking each step with a desperate determination that filled her mind and body. And as she crested over the hill with the final step, she let out a shaky laugh in relief. She had finally arrived.

Ponyville.

Below, the quaint town appeared as normal as it had ever been. The lights from houses gave off soft glows to the nearby bushes and trees, one or two ponies up and about on the dimly lit streets, and the sweet scent of flowers along with orchards of apples were carried on the gentle breeze. It was the scene she had always remembered it by, accented by the lofty stars above and the distant lights of Canterlot.

Yet, as relieving as the sight of the town was, she couldn't help but frown at her new sight upon it. The shadows of night were no longer mysterious and accenting to the bright colors. Instead, she could make out the majority of the details that normally had been gentle corners of nighttime that made the whole scene feel as if it was from a fairy tale.

A tree with a kite stuck on top of it, a couple walking away into the forest, an older pony appearing content on a bench in the park, and a hundred other details that she could faintly make out.

Before her was Ponyville, but not entirely the same as she once knew it. The nostalgic scene was changed, and it only served as a reminder of the change in her.

Holding her jaw line steady, she stepped down the hill, and strode into the town in the edge of the shadows.

She took her route slowly and carefully, avoiding any sections of light that would reveal her, or running into anypony that would announce her presence. In a leisurely and hesitant fashion, she walked about looking in awe at the town. Voices that she knew emanated from the houses she passed, scents that she could dimly recall were now a vivid detail to her. Laughter and peace that held such comfort and warmth were nothing but a painful reminder. She realized she had been wrong atop the hill; the town had never changed, only her.

Eventually through carefully chosen paths, ensuring to avoid any sight of the homes and stores her friends had lived in, she arrived silently in front of a tree, and stood for an insurmountable amount of time standing in front of it.

Each light was on, and the faint noise of movement inside reached her ears now and then. More than once she lifted a hoof to walk forward, but held herself back each time. All the miles she had walked and flown had been infinitely easier than the few steps between her and the library.

Part of her wanted to run, run far away from this world that she felt no longer apart of. But the passing shadow in the window, a small figure with spines atop his head, held her in place, and she knew she could not leave, not again.

With a shuddered breath, Twilight slowly walked to the library, and opened the door.


	38. Chapter 38

_When shadows creep and all's asleep,_  
 _The dream will have begun,_  
 _Of unknown frights and grisly sights,_  
 _All will fall beyond the sun._

 _You're far away from home today,_  
 _And yet there is more road,_  
 _But worry not, for the things that sought,_  
 _Will shelter you from cold..._

 _And with it, you'll have grown._

The door creaked softly as Twilight cautiously opened it, then paused as the library's light flooded her vision. In moments, though, she adjusted, and the full breadth of her home was revealed in a teary sight.

 _I'm back…_

Twilight stood within the doorway, soaking in the wide room in both awe and hesitation. From the rows of familiar books, to the sturdy and accenting arches built into the wood with all their crests and grains, and the faint scent of paper and tea, all of it was as vivid as her heartwarming memories. It was the epitome of comfort for her, brought into further clarity by her newfound senses. The library was more her home than anywhere else, despite having spent all those years in Canterlot in both her family's house and Celestia's gifted dorm. And yet, for all its familiarity and its place in her heart, her breath caught in her throat from the surreal sensation of having been gone from its evocative surroundings for what felt like a lifetime.

 _I'm... home…_

Slowly, Twilight took a step forward, glancing about in relief and worry of her sorrowful return. Another step, and her ears perked cautiously while she gazed about wistfully. Everything was the same as she remembered it. That memory had been the driving force these last tiresome and painful days across fields and forest—both day and night when she could manage—all so she could return to her life before everything had changed. And at long last the sight of her home brought a genuine smile to her weary face. But for all its soothing comfort and reassurance that perhaps her nightmare was beginning to end, the fact that she was no longer the same, no longer entirely who she once was, made her legs tremble, and her will falter.

Having only taken a few steps, Twilight hesitantly stepped backward.

 _I… I shouldn't have come here…_

Biting her lip, and wincing at the poking fangs that even now still caught her by surprise, Twilight looked about the library despondently, and her body began to shake ever so slightly as her vision watered.

"Why did I come? I shouldn't be in this town. Not like this… Not when I'm..." As if to coax more tears from her, the dull burning in her throat flared again, and she brought her hoof towards it. "I need to leave, or I'll… I'll…"

With a pained expression, Twilight turned for the door and gripped the handle with her hoof, but found herself unable to turn it. Widening her eyes at her unresponsive hoof, she shut them tight and pressed her head against the door.

 _Come on, Twilight. Open it! Open it and get out of here!_

Wrapping both hooves around the handle, she wobbled it in desperation, and she found she hardly even had the strength to hold onto it firmly, her grip threatening to slip at any moment.

 _I can't be here, not yet! I can't come back until I've gotten rid of... this!_ Taking a deep breath, she held onto door tightly as if she would fall away without it, and a soft whimper escaped her lips. _Until I'm cured... I'm just a danger to everypony... So open it! Just open the door and get away!_

A tear fell onto the oak wood floor, and moments later Twilight's slumped form followed it. Her ears flattened while her head remained pressed to the door as she feebly held onto the handle with one hoof. At last an audible sob escaped her, and she weakly pounded a hoof against the floor.

 _Why can't I leave? Why can't I handle this? Why… Why am I so weak!?_

Her remaining arm fell to her side, and her vision blurred.

 _I can't let them see me like this. Not after everything that's happened… not after what I've done…_ The familiar voices she heard inside homes she had passed only minutes ago were replayed in her mind, and with them, the accompanying echoes of the ponies that fell beneath Ruby's fangs. _I need to make this right… I need to fix it. I need to fix it! I need to… I need…_

Twilight shuddered as she gripped her chest, and she whimpered again as the burning in her throat steadily grew, uncooled by the few tears that had trailed down her coat. Its insistent irritation was becoming more demanding by the hour, beginning to draw her attention at every moment it could. But with its overwhelming urge came a flicker of strength within her, and she tensed her muscles.

Opening her eyes, Twilight flared her horn and magically grasped the handle. _Come on, Twilight. Don't collapse now. You've got to get out of here for everyone's safety and figure this out. For yourself, for the girls… for-_

"Twilight?"

Twilight gasped, and suddenly, the fire in both her throat and mind cooled. Her heartbeat echoed in her ears as a tense silence filled the air, and she found turning her head towards the voice was even more difficult than turning the handle. But as she heard the sound of a small and hesitant step on the floor behind her, her magic ceased, a numbing sensation filled her, and she found herself able to turn around.

In the doorway to another room stood Spike staring at her with wide eyes, and as she stared back everything inside her came tumbling down.

"Sp… Spike!" she choked and yelled at the same time as tears flowed freely.

In a single moment Spike dashed across the room and dove onto Twilight, where simultaneously the two of them gripped each other with a desperate and shaking embrace, and he shared her anguish.

"Twilight!"

As Twilight fell back against the door, she scooped him close to her, as close as she possibly could, just like how they had once done when they were both very young, when they were both afraid of the dark. It was those times of bonding and shared warmth that always helped drive away their old fears, and now, it was all they had to anchor themselves against much more frightening ones.

There was so much to say, so much to ask, but neither found the effort or will to do anything other than hold each other close while whispering the other's name, letting the world around them fall away as the one and only important thing played across their minds and hearts.

Twilight was home, and they were together again.

* * *

The morning light shined through the library windows, bringing a soft glow to the wooden home. As the sun rose higher, the shadows returned to their recesses beneath shelves and tables, and the darkened space by the door lessened by the minute. There, collapsed in a pile while still holding each other tightly, Twilight and Spike slept, having not moved from the spot since last night. They both wore a small smile on their face, one that shifted whenever the other fidgeted in their dreams until all was right again. It was the first smile Twilight had while sleeping since she 'awoke', and the first one in weeks for Spike. But like all dreams, it would end with a new day, and when the sunlight finally slid its way onto Twilight's outstretched leg, its gentle burn brought everything back to reality.

Furrowing her brow at the sun's touch, Twilight lazily opened her eyes. She sat still for some moments taking in the sight of the library, hazily recalling the various memories that churned their way forward to her attention. Some of her dreams had been about her inside her home, and she dimly held onto them as she continued to awake.

But unlike her dreams, the library did not vanish, and she let out a sigh in relief.

 _I really am back._

A weight shifted atop of her, and she turned her eyes down to Spike's body nuzzled against her chest. Her heart fluttered at the sight of him, and tears formed at the edges of her eyes. Carefully, she raised a hoof and brought it to his cheek, to which he unconsciously pressed back against while mumbling beneath his breath. A long smile spread across Twilight's face, and she couldn't help but wrap her hooves around him and pull him closer.

Leaning her head to his, she whispered, "I'm so glad to have you back."

"Mhmm… Me too…" Spike quietly replied.

Twilight gave a small gasp at his reply, and with a sniffle, tightened her arms around him.

"Mhmwha-?" Spike grumbled as his eyes opened. "Twilight?"

"Yes, I'm here, Spike," she replied shakily.

Spike opened his mouth to respond, but choose to instead hug her back, holding on as if he would never let go again.

The two of them remained like this for some minutes, simply enjoying the presence of the other again in silence. But as the sun rose, the uncomfortable tingling of the sun grew on Twilight's lower body, and she found herself tucking her legs towards her. Spike looked up and gave a questioning look, to which Twilight turned her eyes away. He opened his mouth to ask what's wrong, but the sleepiness in his head had finally vanished, and he looked behind himself to see her legs sheltered in the fading shadows.

"Twilight…"

"... It's okay, Spike," she whispered. Her eyes narrowed as she avoided looking at the sunbeam and all its reminders. "I'm getting used to it…"

"Does it hurt?"

Twilight nearly replied to a deeper meaning in the question, but instead lowered her ears. "It's… _uncomfortable_..." she said in resentment.

Spike gave her a pained glance, then blinked it away into a serious expression before hopping off her and running towards the stairs. "H-Hey! Spike!" Twilight said in surprise, reaching a hoof towards him.

"Just a minute!"

Twilight stared longingly as he vanished to an upper room, then tucked her head down when he was gone for some moments, wrapping herself as close as she could to the door. After a short while, however, she lifted her head at the sound of Spike running back down, and saw him balancing a tower of sheets that threatened to teeter and fall.

"Spike, what are you doing?"

"Taking care of you," he replied firmly as he discarded the pile in the middle of the floor. Immediately he grabbed the first sheet on top, and rushed to the nearest window.

"Spike, it's okay really. You don't have to-"

"Yes, I do!" he shouted without looking back. Jumping onto the window sill, he tossed the sheet over the wooden frame surrounding the window, and tucked in the hanging sides with such force that his claws made small indents into the wood.

Twilight was about to protest further, but paused at noticing a small dark dot appear on the blanket, and then lowered her ears when a few more appeared beside it, directly below Spike's face.

"Spike…"

After securing the blanket in place, Spike jumped off and ran for the next window across the room, grabbing another sheet along the way. One by one, each window was covered by colorful sheets, some with their fabric pierced into the wood, while others locked into place by knots or tape. All too soon, the glowing light that filled the library was replaced by a much dimmer and colorful setting.

Spike stood at the center of the library huffing, eyeing each window to ensure he had gotten them entirely. As he was about to redo one of the windows, the sudden touch of Twilight's hoof wrapping around him made him jump, but he soon relaxed as he eased into her hug.

Catching his breath, he quietly laughed. "I forgot how quiet you were."

"Sorry, I didn't mean too…" Twilight whispered back.

Spike merely patted her arm in reply, and happily let himself be held by her. "Is this better for you now?" he asked. When at first she did not respond, he strained his ears to hear, and barely caught her faint voice.

"... Yes…"

"Good," he said matter of factly. "Although, we should look into getting some better curtains soon. I used up all the sheets, and I don't think I want to sleep on the floor again."

Twilight gave a sobering chuckle, pulling a hoof away from him to wipe her face, all while Spike smiled warmly beside her. Then, with a shuddered breath, followed by another wipe from her hooves, she stepped back from Spike. "Okay, we should get working."

Turning around to face her, Spike asked, "What's the plan?"

"The plan is to cure my vampirism," Twilight stated. "We'll do one last check on every book we have here, then head to Canterlot. And if we can't find anything there, we'll go to the Crystal Kingdom. Given its shared timeline, it should have something I can work with."

"Right," Spike replied before jogging to a stack quills and parchments on a nearby desk. "I'll get your letter to Princess Celestia right away."

"No!" Twilight immediately responded. Her outburst caused Spike to do a double-take, and she shamefully covered her mouth with a hoof.

Spike gave her a careful once over before giving her a worried expression. "Twilight, we need to tell her right away you're back. We need to tell everyone you're back. The girls and her have been worried sick. _I've_ been worried sick."

Twilight nibbled on her lip, then sat down while turning her head away. "But… I don't want them to see me like this… I _can_ 't let them see me… Especially when I'm…" The thought on the matter brought Twilight's attention back to the low burn in her throat that—to her eternal thankfulness—had not arisen during her reunion with Spike. But she doubted there was anything that could subdue it for much longer, and she found, to her fear, her mind beginning to slip its focus on anything else.

Her focus was, however, brought back by the gentle touch of Spike's claw on her shoulder, and she turned with pained eyes to see his reassuring face. "It's going to be okay, Twilight. You need help, and that's all any of us want to do. So please, let me help."

Twilight bit her lip tighter, and winced when her fang poked her skin. Carefully, she touched the sore spot with her tongue, and nearly groaned in content from the taste. The notion, however, was banished in an instant, and she shamefully clamped her jaw tight while casting her gaze downward.

"... Okay…"

Spike gave her a thankful smile, followed by quick hug, then went back to the desk. "What do you want me to write?" he asked as he prepared the letter.

"I don't know… You write something," Twilight quietly replied.

He flashed her a brief glance, then dabbed the quill in ink.

 _Dear Princess Celestia,_

 _Twilight's back at the library. She needs help. Come quick._

 _-Spike_

Hastily wrapping the letter in the red seal, he breathed fire onto it, and he and Twilight watched it disappear in a tuft of magical smoke. Some moments of tense silence passed between them before Spike's cheeks inflated, followed by the accompanying burp. At once he tore the seal of the arrived letter, and cleared his throat.

"Don't move. Princess Celestia."

Twilight shuddered at the words, and she hesitantly eyed the front door. But before she could dwell on the thought further, Spike was already by her side and rested a claw on her arm. The tension in Twilight's muscles gave away, and a weary sigh escaped her as she hung her head. Nervously nibbling her lip, though more carefully than before, she turned to Spike. "Do you think she'll still see me as who I was, or…"

"It doesn't matter," Spike replied, flashing her a reassuring smile. "I don't care what happens, you're still Twilight to me."

Twilight gave a small sniffle, and pulled him closer towards her, intent on relishing in the moments of peace she had while it lasted.

* * *

A few hours passed with little talking between Twilight and Spike before a sudden light filled the library, bright enough to pass through the blankets like they hadn't been there at all, and vanished as quickly as it appeared. Twilight's ears twitched at the sound of metal landing outside of the tree, and the galloping of hooves heading towards the door.

Twilight gulped. _She's here._

Apprehension filled her despite Spike's comforting touch, and she looked at the door in dread. Time seemed to slow for her as her heart rate raised to the pace of the approaching hooves, and a sickening feeling appeared in her gut. But as quickly at the anxiety appeared, it faded the moment the door was thrown open, and revealed Celestia standing in the doorway.

Everything became still as Twilight and Celestia's eyes met, a flurry of emotions flashing across both of their faces. Twilight's mouth fell open as she cowered slightly before her, willing herself to run towards her but being unable to. Her visual plight, however, was recognized instantly by Celestia, and she covered the distance between them in two leaping steps, and pulled Twilight deep into her embrace.

"Twilight!"

"C-Celestia!"

Twilight's hesitation fell away, and she pressed herself as close as she could within Celestia's arms, hardly aware of the wide wings wrapping around her, or the sounds of her own distraught crying. All that mattered was that Celestia was here, holding her in love instead of rejection, and to Twilight's infinite relief, without pain. Having feared for days that she would never know the comforts of the sun again, the joyful fact that she could touch Celestia without feeling the same effects caused Twilight's heart to perform leaps within her chest, and made her cry even harder.

All the while, Celestia silently shared Twilight's pain and joy. Where normally her wings remained straight and firm through even the most dire of storms, they shook unevenly around Twilight, brushing against her in a soothing but shivering fashion. Celestia's flowing mane shimmered from the droplets of tears that freely trailed down her face, uncaring at the streaks they left, or even the growing dampness on her chest as Twilight buried her face into her. But with the clumping of fur from both their tears, a weight was lifted from Celestia. Now that Twilight had returned to her, now that she could wrap her wings around her, and above all, quell the threatening pain of loss that had appeared so suddenly from its centuries of absence, Celestia's world seemed whole again.

How long she held Twilight, she did not know. Yet, despite all her desires, Celestia dutifully, but regretfully, nuzzled Twilight's cheek with her own, and gently pulled a short distance away so that she could look upon her.

To Celestia's relief, Twilight looked upwards at her with a mess of a face, one that she had seen far too many times when Twilight was but a filly. The difference this time, however, and with the addition of the growing pit in her stomach, red eyes had taken on an all too unsettling definition, and Celestia looked sorrowfully into Twilight's red and glistening irises.

"Twilight… My faithful student…" Celestia whispered in a motherly fashion.

Twilight caught her breath in the middle of a sob, desperately trying to calm herself as she stared hopefully back.

"I'm so sorry this has happened to you…"

"I… It's okay…" Twilight weakly replied.

Lowering her wing so that she could gently wipe a tear from Twilight's face with a feather, Celestia let out a faint sigh.

"No, it's not."

Silence passed between them as they stared at each other, and for a moment, it was all Twilight wanted. But the interruption of a hesitant cough caused her ears to twitch, and she turned her head to see Applejack and Rarity a short distance from her.

"Girls…" Twilight said.

"H-Hey there, T-Twalight," Applejack said while sniffing. Rarity opened her mouth to say something as well, but decided otherwise as she instead gave Twilight a small smile. Both of their eyes were glistening with tears that were already trailing down their cheeks.

"Girls…" Twilight repeated as she pulled away from Celestia. The three of them flinched before pausing to stare at each other again, their eyes wide in uncertainty, wondering if they were actually seeing each other. Then, a smile broke out across Twilight's face, and she leapt towards them. "GIRLS!"

At once Applejack and Rarity met with her, and the three of them fell into a sitting position in which they leaned heavily against each other while laughing and crying at the same time.

"I'm so sorry!" Twilight blurted as she wrapped them both in her arms.

"We're sorry too! We should have never left you back in tha city!" Applejack replied.

"We should have never left you that night when you were stolen from us!" Rarity added.

"I'm sorry!" Twilight repeated. "It was all my fault for not coming to you sooner!"

"No, it's not!" Rarity said, pressing her head towards Twilight without regard to her mane. "It was never your fault."

"But… But ponies are-"

"Shhh," Rarity interrupted, stroking Twilight's mane as she held her tightly. "No more talking about that. That wasn't _you_."

"But I…" Twilight began, but found herself instead shaking in their embrace.

"I know, darling. I know…" Rarity cooed.

"Don't be focusing on any of that now," Applejack said, taking a moment to set aside her hat so that she could lean into Twilight further. "Only thing that matters now is that yer back, safe and sound."

Slowly, Twilight shifted from holding them to becoming limp in their arms, alternating resting positions of her head from one to the other. Their welcomed voices whispered quiet promises to her, and their missed presence was being filled by reassuring brushes of their hooves on Twilight's back or through her mane. Though their reunion held as much weight in Twilight's heart as Celestia's and Spike's, she couldn't help but laugh in joy every now and then, unable to contain a certain giddiness and comfort her friends brought her.

Everything was almost right again. Almost.

As things settled down Twilight carefully lifted herself up to wipe her eyes, her smile changed into one of uncertainty, then shock as she brought her hooves to her throat. Applejack and Rarity gave a questioning look, then shouted in surprise as Twilight scrambled away from them, Celestia, and Spike, and retreated to the other end of the room as far as she could get from them all.

"Twilight!" Spike exclaimed as he moved towards her.

"Don't come closer!" Twilight shouted. Her face was aghast as she stared at them with wide eyes, her red irises becoming smaller as her pupils contracted. The drying stains of joyful tears dampened again as new fearful ones appeared, and she began to shake while recoiling from everyone. "Stay back! Please, stay away from me!"

Her heart beat grew louder and louder, filling her ears in an unnatural way as the rhythms of everyone elses heart became noticeable to her. How close she had been to their throats, their chests, and their arteries flashed in her mind. Their warm coat being right next to her mouth, their blood having only been inches away. Twilight licked her lips at the thought of it. She had only needed to take one bite to taste something so delicious that would have eased the burning in her throat. Then, memories of when Ruby drank blood back in Manehatten appeared at the forefront of her mind. It had tasted so good back then, so wonderful that it made her dizzy in bliss the first few times. And she could have it again.

Twilight took a step towards them, but quickly shut her eyes as she threw herself back against the wall. "No! I can't!"

"Twilight!" Celestia shouted, but Twilight hardly heard her.

She was too focused on keeping her wings between herself and her friends, all while huddling on the floor while pleading quietly beneath her breaths. "Please… just go away… Don't let me… Don't let me… Don't…"

Then, a sudden aroma filled Twilight's nose, and she stiffened at its sweet scent.

In a zombie like fashion, Twilight lifted her head, and focused her gaze immediately on the source of the smell; a small cut oozing blood, directly on a foreleg.

Twilight subconsciously stood herself up, still hunched over as she tried to avert her body away. It was hard to look away from it, hard not to lick her lips and immediately sink her fangs into it. But the little bit left of her rationality held her in check, and she forced herself to look upwards. "Applejack… What are you doing?"

Applejack held a grim, but firm look. She even went as far as to stretch her bleeding arm towards Twilight, who in response shifted closer.

"Twilight," Celestia said calmly, drawing Twilight's attention with a shocked expression towards her. "I was afraid of this, or rather, hoped it would come to this instead of another way. You haven't fed for sometime, and you need to recover your strength. You need to drink."

Twilight stared in disbelief at the surety in Celestia's words, and at the fact everyone else seem to watching expectantly for Twilight to act on them.

"But I-" Twilight began.

"We already talked about it, Sugarcube," Applejack said. "We know you need blood, otherwise something bad will happen. Namely, you or another pony dying." Applejack took a step forward, to which Twilight tried to move back, but found herself closing the gap with a step of her own.

Twilight looked down to the cut, then back to Applejack, and back to the cut again, and she exposed her fangs as her breathing became rapid. "What if I can't stop?" Twilight pleaded, looking to each of their faces in turn for some sign that they shouldn't do this.

"Until you are on a regular diet in which you can control yourself," Rarity said, followed by a slight shiver, "Applejack and I will take turns." Turning her head to Celestia, Rarity gave a nod, who in turn flared her horn and magically made a small cut on Rarity's foreleg, the same spot Applejack's was at.

Twilight's eyes zeroed in on the freshly created wound and gulped as a small bead of red trailed across Rarity's white coat.

"Twalight," Applejack said loudly, refocusing her attention towards her. At first Applejack regarded Twilight's desperate and begging manner with a deadset expression, but the silent plea in Twilight's eyes made Applejack's demeanor falter, and a fearful but brave expression appeared. "Please, let us help you."

Twilight found herself walking towards Applejack's outstretched leg, all while shaking her head along the way. "But I don't… I don't-"

"Shhhh, Sugarcube. We know." Applejack lifted her other hoof and guided Twilight's head towards the cut.

"Please, don't let me..." Twilight whispered, shaking in desperate attempts to push back agaisnt Applejack's hoof.

Applejack paused when Twilight was only inches away, unable to lead her the last bit of distance. The feeling of something tearing inside her made her grit her teeth, and her eyes watered at the action she would make Twilight perform.

Twilight remained fixated on the cut just within reach of her mouth, breathing heavily at its scent that filled her mind. But as influencing as it was, she remained firm in the tiny bit of will she had left, and it showed by the shudders that wracked her body as she tried to turn herself or look away.

Applejack's mouth fell as she looked onto Twilight, and a sobbed escaped her. She turned to Rarity, and saw that she had hidden her face behind her hair, unwilling to witness the heartbreaking sight. Then, turning to Celestia, she looked up with a silent plea. Celestia, however, only gave a solemn nod, a silent reminder of their preperation for this moment.

Letting her ears fall, Applejack gave once last shuddered breath, and stilled herself as she looked back to Twilight who still managed to keep herself the remaining few inches away. Applejack swallowed a lump in her throat, and gave a weary smile despite Twilight not being able to look up.

"You've been fighting hard, Sugarcube. But you shouldn't be alone anymore. We're here for you, Twalight. And now, it's time we finally helped you."

Applejack once again gently guided Twilight to the cut, forcing herself to continue on despite the rush of 'no's and 'sorry's beneath Twilight's breath.

The moment Applejack's blood touched Twilight's lips, Twilight closed her eyes tight as more tears trailed down her cheeks, and she resentfully clamped her jaw onto Applejack's arm. Applejack winced at the pain, but slowly sat herself down, all while leading Twilight down with her. Despite having her mouth full and gulping the blood down her throat, Twilight still kept mumbling desperately, unable to speak a clear word as tears mixed with blood. "It's okay, we're here…" Applejack cooed, stroaking Twilight's hair in a soothing fashion.

A silence fell over the room as everyone stood close by while Twilight sobbed as she fed. Eventually, and with a little coaxing, they transferred her from Applejack's leg to Rarity's, reassuring her with loving words that everything would be alright and that they were here for her. Twilight continued to cry onwards throughout the session, hating herself all the while for enjoying the taste of her friends' blood, for having to depend on them in such an unsightly and unnatural way, and for having the cursed fate that drove her towards this.

When all was said and done, when Twilight's hunger was sated and the burning in her throat soothed, the sun had already climbed to the highest point in the sky. Exhausted from all the events, Twilight had passed out in her final moments from feeding on Rarity, falling asleep directly in her lap, tears still falling even in her sleep. Rarity dabbed the droplets around Twilight's face while being healed by Celestia, and they all looked upon her with heartache as she slept.

Twilight was back, but she was no longer the same. And despite how much it pained them to see her so distraught over her fate, they knew she would never escape it. Twilight had changed, and they would be there to help her through. No matter what.


	39. Chapter 39

_With wistful eyes, I did spy,_  
 _The pony I had once known._  
 _With shadows deep, and words so sweet,_  
 _She traveled to my home._

 _With days of worry, and nights in frets,_  
 _I beckoned her to my arms._  
 _But still she was, and with heartfelt sobs,_  
 _She begged for me to run._

 _Yet I could not run..._

"Maybe I could go see her now?"

The tinkling of a spoon against porcelain stopped as Rarity gave an exasperated sigh. "Pinkie, how many times must you make me say it? Let her rest. You can see her when she wakes up."

Pinkie Pie lowered her ears solemnly as she turned her gaze back to the stairs. "How much longer do you think she'll be asleep?"

"I _don't_ know," Rarity replied, furrowing her brow yet again.

"But I-"

"Pinkie, please!" Rarity snapped. Pinkie Pie flinched from her voice, then sat back in her chair, forcing her eyes to wander over the table instead. Rarity kept a firm glare on her, but let it fall as she rubbed the side of her head. "I'm sorry, it's just… Give her time. She hasn't even been back for a day."

Pinkie Pie gave a heavy sigh and grabbed onto her tail for solace, kneading it in an anxious fashion as a stifling silence filled the room. Rarity gave her a brief but worrying glance before stirring her cup of tea again, having yet to take a single drink as she stared into it absentmindedly. Pinkie Pie's hoofs slowly became more erratic as she stroked her tail, quickening her pace as her eyes began to dart back and forth between the table and stairs. But just as she was about to open her mouth, a sudden and gentle touch caused her ears to perk in surprise, and she forced herself to take a deep breath. Pinkie Pie's lip quivered for a moment as she wiped her eyes, then turned towards Fluttershy, giving her an apologetic smile.

Fluttershy returned it with a meek smile of her own before withdrawing her hoof and easing herself back into her chair. Rarity's frown lessened slightly at the kept peace, but did nothing else as she continued to preoccupy herself with her cup.

Minutes passed between the three of them as they sat in uncertainty, apprehension, and concern before a soft clamour in the kitchen broke the atmosphere, followed by the entrance of Spike and Applejack.

"Got some some snacks, all," Applejack said, a note of dullness in her voice.

"And more tea," Spike added. He flashed a hopeful grin as he showcased the pot, but lowered it when nopony responded. With less spirit, he placed it beside the plate of pastries Applejack had set at the center of the table. "I guess no one needs anymore yet…" he commented after eyeing the still full cups.

"I… I could use some more," Fluttershy softly said as she extended her cup to Spike to show the little bit she had drank.

Spike gave her a small smile, then grasped the pot. "One full cup, coming right up."

Fluttershy nodded in thanks as he topped her off, and began to daintily sip.

Silence filled the room again, and everyone's eyes focused on some spot that wasn't each other.

Rubbing his arm in hesitation, Spike briefly glanced at them all, then to the stairs. When nothing seemed to change at the head of the dark steps, he directed his gaze towards one of the still covered up windows, watching the sunset's light slowly become duller and duller. "I take it Princess Celestia still hasn't come down yet?"

"I believe she's still speaking with Princess Luna," Rarity answered without lifting her head.

"Has she asked for any more quills or parchments?" Spike asked hopefully.

"No."

Spike fumbled with his claws, then looked back and forth between Rarity and Applejack. ""So um… What happened in Fillydelphia?"

Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy looked to the both of them as well, lifting their ears in interest. Applejack, however, gave them a sorrowful expression, and Rarity simply looked away as she hid her face behind her hair.

"To yell ya the truth, it's a little hard to recount," Applejack said as she took her hat off and placed onto the table. "There's still somethings Ah ain't too sure about, but Ah suppose you all should know." Applejack looked towards Spike. "Did Twalight tell you anything before we showed up this morning?"

"No…" Spike replied.

Applejack took a deep breath as she closed her eyes, then sat herself into a chair. "Ah guess we'll just have to wait to hear her part." Staring at the food on the plate, yet feeling no hunger despite having not eaten all day, Applejack's eyes glazed over somewhat.

"It took sometime, and Ah reckon a godly amount of luck, but we finally found her." Applejack lifted her ears and looked to them all. "She was in Fillydelphia of all places, just walking around the street like it was nothing. Except she didn't look like Twalight, not at first. She had some outfit and wig on disguising herself. Ah didn't even recognize her 'till Ah heard her voice and saw her mane."

A smile appeared on Applejack's face. "Ah couldn't believe it at first. Here we were searching everywhere we could, and we just bump into her out of the blue." In a moment, however, her smile faded. "Then things went wrong. She just took off from us, running like she was afraid of us or something. She said something about us and the Princesses, and some nonsense of how we were sent to capture her. Me and Rare's chased her to an alleyway. We tried talking her down, to reach her and let her know everythings alright, but…"

Applejack gave a frown as she pulled her hooves to herself. "But then she gave me this look. Ah can't quite describe it, but… It wasn't right. It wasn't a good look. It wasn't Twalight…" Everyone remained quiet as Applejack recalled the memory, briefly glancing at each other in confusion.

"No, it wasn't Twilight at all," Rarity suddenly said. Picking her cup up with a hoof and taking a sip for the first time, she held it close to her as she tightened her grip.

"Wait, I don't understand," Spike said. "Did you find Twilight or not?"

"Yes and no," Applejack answered. "Ah don't know how, but Night Walker had done something to her, changed her… Aside from the obvious." Everyone in the room gave a small shudder at hearing the name. "She kept calling herself Ruby, and swore up and down that we weren't her friends."

"Pinkie!" Rarity suddenly said.

Pinkie Pie froze in mid leap from her chair, then fell onto the floor with a pleading expression. "Pretty please?"

"She's had as much comfort as she can take right now," Rarity replied. "Just… Please, sit back in the chair and let us finish."

Pinkie Pie gave another glance to the stairs, then slowly made her way back to her chair. She plopped her head onto the table, and as impossibly as always, though lacking in the usual energy, surprised them all by sticking her tongue all the way to the plate of pastries, and wrapping it around one to bring back and munch on despondently.

"Anyways," Applejack continued, "We tried to get her to calm down, but it wasn't working so we started getting ready to put that ring Princess Celestia gave us onto Twalight's horn. And if it wasn't for Rainbow Dash showing up like she did, we would have never gotten it on her."

"How… How much longer do you think Dashie will be?" Fluttershy asked.

"Afraid Ah can't say," Applejack replied. "She said she'd be right behind us once she was done taking care of Gilda. She said she needed a day or two with her, just until she's sure that she'll be okay, or at least as well as she can be."

Pinkie Pie sat straight up in surprise at the news and looked at Applejack intently. "What's wrong with Gilda?"

"From what Rainbow told us," Applejack replied, "Night Walker had gotten ahold of her and… Well, Ah'm not exactly sure what happened, but it doesn't sound like the doctors think her chances of flying again are good."

Fluttershy let out a small squeak as she covered her face with her hoof, and tears appeared in Pinkie Pie's eyes.

With a sniff, Pinkie Pie asked, "Do… Do you think she'll mind if I throw her a Get Well party?"

"I thought you two didn't get along," Rarity commented. "Wasn't all those pranks at that party meant for her?"

Pinkie Pie wiped her eyes and gave a small smile. "She isn't the nicest Griffin I know, but that doesn't mean I can't help her when she needs it. Besides, she's still Rainbow Dash's friend, I think. And that means she's my friend too, even if we don't like each other that much. Besides… Everypony needs someone when life is hard." With her smile fading fast, Pinkie Pie turned her head back to the stairs.

Rarity opened her mouth to snap at her again, but instead gave a sigh. In a soft voice, she said, "I'm sure Twilight will be happy to see you too, once she's gotten her rest."

"Yeah…"

A minute of silence passed before Spike gave another insistent cough.

Applejack twitched her ears as she lifted her eyes from the ground. "Oh, right." Taking a quick sip from her cup to wet her throat, she continued. "After we got the ring on her, we brought her back to the hotel the three of us had been using while we were in the city. We were right in the middle of figuring out what we were gonna do when Twalight woke up. We tried talking to her again, but no matter what we said, she wouldn't believe that we were her friends or that she was Twalight."

"I still don't think you should have let her go," Rarity interjected.

Applejack gave her a frown. "What were we supposed to do, take her away by force?"

"If need be, yes."

Applejack gave a frown. "She wasn't supposed to be a prisoner."

Rarity flipped her hair as she set her cup down. "She might as well have been for how she was acting."

"Like that would have made things any better."

"It certainly would have prevented everything that happened. We could have been back in Ponyville already and near the Princesses for help."

"You know how bad that would have gone, especially how she felt over those bat ponies."

"Well, just because she was acquainted with those kinds of ponies does not mean they were more important than her."

"Twalight needed us to be there for her and believe in her! Not toss her in a bag!"

"And how many times do we need to go over the fact that she WASN'T Twilight?"

"Girls, stop! Twilight's trying to rest!" Spike shouted over them.

Applejack and Rarity blinked in surprise, before the two of them turned their heads shamefully away. "Rarity, Ah-"

"I'm going to see if there are any other kinds of tea," Rarity announced before suddenly lifting herself from her chair. "Excuse me." Keeping her eyes straight, Rarity trotted out of the room, leaving everyone to glance about each other.

"What's wrong with her?" Spike asked with worry.

Applejack sighed. "This whole mess hasn't been easy for any of us. But… it's been a bit different for Rarity."

"Different how?"

"I'm going to go check on her," Fluttershy announced as she too hopped off her chair.

Applejack opened her mouth to protest, but instead closed it as she gave a sigh. "Yeah, you do that, Sugarcube."

Fluttershy gave her a hopeful smile, then departed into the kitchen after Rarity. When she entered, she squinted her eyes at the little light in the room from the eastside window that was covered up. But the appearance of Rarity's form opening a cabinet eased her concern, and she carefully made her way towards her side.

"Um… What other kinds of tea are there?"

"Let's see," Rarity said without looking at her. Taking the boxes out individually and holding their face to the dimmed light for a brief glance, Rarity began setting them in a row. "We have Mulberry, Blueberry, Dandelion, Daffodil… Which would you like?"

"Whatever one you're going to make," Fluttershy answered.

"Daffodile it is then. Excuse me"

Fluttershy moved to the side for Rarity, then squeaked at the sudden touch of something on her legs.

"That's a chair, darling," Rarity merely commented as she gave Fluttershy a reassuring touch with her hoof, then moved to the stove.

Fluttershy stood in silence as Rarity began preparations for making a new pot of tea, watching her in concern, gleaning what she could from the few details she could make of her face in the shadowed room, and noting that not once had Rarity used her horn all evening. Once Rarity had finished the preparations and set the pot to boil, she stood stoically near it, her eyes fixated on the warming water.

"Um… Rarity?"

"Yes?"

"... Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, dear," Rarity replied.

"I don't think you are…"

"Well then, I'm as well as one can be during a time like this."

Fluttershy rubbed her leg with a hoof, then slowly moved towards her. When she was by Rarity's side, Fluttershy gently placed a hoof onto Rarity's, and stared at her with a patient expression. "I can listen if you don't mind while it boils. Just like at the spa."

Rarity looked to Fluttershy out of the corner of her eyes, then nodded solemnly as she walked herself backwards to sit on one of the stools. "I'm sorry, dear… It's just been a little much."

With a small smile, Fluttershy waved her hoof through the air until she too found a stool, and sat beside her all while keeping a comforting grasp.

"From everything horrible that's happened to when Twilight vanished on us again in Fillydelphia… It's been worrying beyond belief…"

"Which one is bothering you the most?"

"Twilight, obviously," Rarity immediately answered. "But there's also... Celestia, I don't even know where to begin."

"Wherever you feel like," Fluttershy said quietly.

Rarity gave a sniff, then lifted her head as she stared at the pot. "How about how I am the bane of Twilight's existence and it's apparently part of my bloodline to kill vamponies like her?"

Fluttershy gave a small meep, to which Rarity replied with a hollow laugh. "I know, it sounds silly doesn't it? But it certainly doesn't feel silly…"

"... What happened?"

"Well, a lot of things," Rarity said shakily as she tried to clear her throat. "There were bat ponies whom I didn't really care for, Twilight of course, and then there were these ponies…" Fluttershy remained quiet as Rarity took another breath, creasing her forehead as she recalled the moments.

"Twilight had visited us in our hotel. Things didn't go well because she suddenly began to run from us. We followed her out to this construction yard of sorts, and then we found these ponies who called themselves 'Hunters'." Rarity placed her other hoof on top of Fluttershy's. "They said I was the same as them, aside from the fact we shared the same coat color and similar mane hues. They said it was my duty to help them capture Twilight and…"

Fluttershy gripped Rarity tighter. "That's nonsense. They don't know anything about you."

"I know, and I keep telling myself that," Rarity replied. Her face, however, became more solemn. "But they were right. Deep down, some part of me agrees with them…"

"Rarity, you can't let them trick you-"

"It has nothing to do with them convincing me, Fluttershy," Rarity said as she gave a shuddered breath. "Whether I wanted to believe them or not, I could feel it. Princess Celestia even confirmed for me when she explained their history on our ride back." Rarity's eyelids fluttered as she sharply inhaled. "Every time it appeared it becomes stronger and more noticeable, and I don't know when it will stop."

"What are you talking about?" Fluttershy asked. She brought a hoof to stroke Rarity's mane as she stared worryingly at her sorrowful face.

"It just happens, and it feels so natural," Rarity continued. "Everything becomes so… mundane. It's like the whole world becomes grey. My fears, my worries, my joys… it all disappears when I slip into that state. Nothing bothers me or becomes worrying. I didn't even care about the ponies I injured…"

Fluttershy's tightening grip made Rarity choke on a sob that had been building. "I'm sorry, I'm not making much sense, am I?"

"It's okay…"

Rarity took a moment to recollect herself, then straightened her back as she turned to Fluttershy. "Applejack and I found Ruby in a construction yard. There were those ponies I mentioned and they were determined to get their hooves on Twilight. Applejack and I met up with a few bat ponies that were with her. After we finally caught up to Twilight, there were many of those strange ponies between us and her. I went to her side, clubbing each and every one of them I could that got in my way. Once I reached her, Twilight and I fended off five other ponies that were like me, uncaring, cold, and calculating."

She paused for a moment as Fluttershy widened her eyes at the information dump before continuing. "I didn't care how many broken bones I left, or how many ponies looked at me in fear. None of it bothered me, none of it reached me…"

Rarity turned her ahead when the familiar sound of bubbling water reached her ears, and she carefully pulled herself away from Fluttershy to see to it. Fluttershy on the other hoof, keep a worrying stare on her all the while. Eventually, she managed to get her mouth working again, and spoke quietly, "At least you helped Twilight."

"Maybe…" Rarity replied. "But that strange state doesn't always seem very helpful…"

"What do you mean?"

Rarity turned off the heat, and began fishing for cups in the cupboard. "Sometimes when I get into that strange mood, it feels like nothing matters, or at least bothers me. Everything becomes easy in figuring out what to do because there are no reserves in any of my actions. But other times…" Rarity grasped the first cup she came across, bringing it down for her to look at. But as she did, it began to shake from her hooves. "Other times… I… With Twilight as she is I…."

The cup fell from her hoof and clattered onto the table, leaving a small crack on its edge. At once Fluttershy was beside her, wrapping her hooves around Rarity's increasingly shaking form. A soft sob began to escape Rarity as she leaned towards Fluttershy, letting her be enveloped by her wings. Keeping a firm hold on her, Fluttershy stroked her mane as gently as she could, waiting patiently for her to speak again. And when she did, it was so quiet that Fluttershy thought she had almost imagined it.

"Sometimes… I hate her…"

Fluttershy didn't ask or say anything, choosing instead to help Rarity sit on the floor as she kept at her soothing touch.

"I can't stop myself from feeling it," Rarity half choked and whispered, trying as hard as she could to keep her voice low. "But there are times when I just hate her… I hate her for what she is, and it makes me sick just looking at her. I nearly struck her with my hoof when she drank my blood! What kind of friend does that?"

Fluttershy didn't answer.

"And even worse, It's now becoming the only thing I feel when I'm in that uncaring state, and it's becoming easier and easier to fall into it! There's nothing else besides that hate!" Rarity nuzzled her face into Fluttershy's shoulder, leaving trails of mascara and tears. "I'm an awful pony for feeling that, but I can't stop it! It's tearing me apart and I don't know what to do!"

Rarity began to weep as quietly as she could into Fluttershy who silently cried with her as well. The two of them remained on the floor for sometime, all while holding each other for comfort from the wrenching pain in their hearts. Eventually, though, Rarity's breathing became less erratic, and she quickly wiped her eyes as she stood herself back up. "We… We can't let the tea become cold…"

Fluttershy reluctantly let Rarity go to finish filling the cups, finding it difficult to stand up herself. Fluttershy watched with still streaming tears as Rarity set the cracked cup to the far edge of the counter and began pouring lukewarm tea into new ones. When Rarity turned around to offer Fluttershy's hers, Fluttershy stared intently Rarity's eyes.

"Do you hate her now?"

Rarity widened her eyes at the question, then meekly looked away. "No…"

"Did you hate her when you defended her from those other ponies?"

"... No…"

Fluttershy stepped forward and gave Rarity a quick hug, brushing her cheek in a motherly fashion. "Then you aren't an awful pony."

Rarity opened her mouth in surprise, but found no words to speak with. Instead, she closed her eyes as another tear fell from her, and returned Fluttershy's embrace.

"... Thank you, Fluttershy…"

Smiling in return, Fluttershy took her cup, and positioned herself by Rarity's side, waiting patiently for her to recollect herself and clear the mascara trails on her face. When she was finally ready, the two of them made their way back into the living room, finding that Spike had already lit the candles to brighten the darkening library.

Pinkie Pie and Spike gave Rarity a worrying stare, which Rarity returned with a reassuring smile. "Sorry about that, everyone. I'm okay, now." Fluttershy and Rarity returned to their seats, all while Applejack watched Rarity with a knowing glance, then flashing an appreciative smile to Fluttershy.

After taking a sip from her new cup, Rarity cleared her throat. "Now then, where were we?"

"Ah sped them up about the fight in the yard and who those ponies were," Applejack said.

Rarity blinked in surprise, then nodded slowly in understanding when neither Spike nor Pinkie Pie suddenly looked to her. "Right. Well, after that, we got ahold of one of the ponies attacking Twilight. He informed us of where Twilight was. We sent a message to Princess Celestia right away at the Royal Communication center in Fillydelphia. Rainbow Dash met up with us later that evening, but she decided to go ahead on her own once we told her everything."

"She was a might upset she had been away during the fight," Applejack added.

"That's an understatement," Rarity said.

"Then what happened?" Spike asked.

"Well, like Ah said, Ah'm not too sure what happened with Rainbow," Applejack began. "Something about fighting them Hunters in the sky when all of a sudden Night Walker showed up." Applejack furrowed her brow. "When me and Rare's got to the balcony he was already there with Twilight."

"Did you fight him?" Spike asked with wide eyes.

Applejack looked over to him and gave him a small but oddly sad smile. "No, that was Princess Celestia's job."

"She got there in time?" Fluttershy asked.

"Like a shooting star with all the heat of the sun," Applejack said. "Ah've never seen a Princess look that powerful or angry before. She made that time Twilight turned on fire look like a tiny spark against a pyre."

"There was a small scuffle between her and Twilight," Rarity continued for Applejack. "It was then that Princess Celestia saw first hoof how Night Walker had twisted her. Then…"

Applejack and Rarity looked to one another, wondering who should say it.

"Then…" Applejack said. "Night Walker brought out the necklace, the same one you saw that night she disappeared, Spike."

Spike rubbed his claws together as he glanced to the spot it had happened many nights ago. "What… What he do with it?"

"Ah wasn't too sure of that myself at the time," Applejack said. "He whispered something into it and it caused Twilight to start freaking out on us. Me and Rare's tried to get her to calm down, but it was like she couldn't even hear us. Then, all of a sudden she flared her horn, and she was gone." Applejack sighed as she reached for her cup. "After that, Princess Celestia fought with Night Walker, but the awful devil managed to get away. We searched the penthouse for Twilight, but there wasn't anypony left, except for Prince Blueblood that is."

"Prince Blueblood?" Spike asked.

Rarity gave a snort as she frowned. "That frivolous stallion had apparently been the one to give shelter to Twilight and the bat ponies while they were in the city. The moment he saw Princess Celestia he started spewing some nonsense of praise for Night Walker and charged her. She should have thrown him off the tower then and there."

"Whether he's smart or stupid, Princess Celestia believed Night Walker had gotten to him somehow in someway," Applejack added quickly, quelling the surprised faces towards Rarity somewhat.

"You're right, an ego-centric stallion like himself wouldn't have any problem being tricked," Rarity replied.

"So what did the necklace do? Did you guys find Twilight afterwards?" Spike asked.

"No, we didn't," Applejack said. "That letter you sent us was the first thing we heard of her after she vanished on us again. We came straight away after that. It was on the way that Princess Celestia filled us in on some things."

Applejack gave a brief glance to Rarity who only turned her gaze away.

"Apparently, that necklace he stole had been what he used to control Twalight. He… " Applejack found it difficult to speak, and took a quick sip as she steadied herself. "He used it to steal her memories. All this time Twilight didn't know who she was, and he convinced her that she was Ruby, a vampony princess from the same time he was from…"

Everyone besides Applejack and Rarity gave a small gasp, then turned their heads to the stairs. The sun had set some minutes ago, and the deep and foreboding shadows that filled the upstairs only served to emphasize the dark fate that had befallen Twilight. Now, it wasn't just Pinkie Pie that wished they could go upstairs right away and be beside Twilight.

Then, either through coincidence or an appropriately timed entrance, the golden trimmed hooves of Celestia appeared at the top of the steps, and she slowly made her way down the stairs.

"Princess," Applejack said as they all got off their chairs and moved towards her.

"How is she?" Spike asked worryingly.

"Is she awake? Can we see her yet?" Pinkie Pie asked right after.

"No, not yet," Celestia replied. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she turned to look at each of their faces. "I trust you've all been informed on what's happened?" The nods in return answered her. "Good."

"Princess Celestia," Rarity began. "What's going to happen next?"

Celestia looked towards her, and saw the faint glint of ire behind Rarity's eyes. "I spoke with my sister. As it stands, there has been no news of Night Walker or the other bat ponies."

Rarity tightened her lip, then gave a nod in reply.

"But right now, that should not be your main focus," Celestia continued. "Night Walker and his followers will be dealt with by Princess Luna and myself. As for you five, you must be by Twilight's side now more than ever."

"Ah think Ah speak for everyone in that this is where we all want to be," Applejack answered.

Celestia looked to each of them again, and gave a heartfelt smile. "Twilight is lucky to have such faithful friends such as yourselves. No matter what the circumstance, you must all be here for her to help through this." Celestia looked to Rarity last as she spoke, then turned her head to the covered window. "I'll be staying until Twilight wakes up, but then I must go. My sister and I have much to discuss face to face."

"Can I get you a cup of tea?" Spike asked.

Celestia turned to him and smiled. "I would love one."

* * *

"The truth is that I do not know how much Night Walker's influence has affected her," Celestia said. The six of them were seated at the table as they talked, recounting various details or questions that they had yet to bring up amongst each other, doing whatever it took to pass the time. "He was called the Shadow for many reasons. One of those was his ability to seep into the heart and soul of another pony, twisting and darkening them for his own agenda or experiments." Celestia looked to the wall with an unsavory glance, almost as if watching a distant scene. "Even among the Four Shepherds, he was one of the ones I worried about the most."

"You mentioned them before," Rarity said. "Who are they?"

"The Four Shepherds were ponies who were most known for their evil, destruction, or darkness. Equestria was not the pleasant and peace filled land as it is now, but it had never been as awful as it was during their reign."

"How come we've never heard about them until now?" Spike asked.

Celestia closed her eyes as she leaned slightly back in her chair. "There was once a time when I believed the only chance for a brighter future was for the past to be hidden so that no pony could recall the previous darkness. After all these years, that decision seems to be catching up to me. First my sister, then Discord and Sombra, and now Night Walker…"

Celestia became quiet, and so did the rest of them. They all became lost in some thought or another, wondering how things came to be, or what they would do next. Even though Twilight was back, they still felt as powerless as they had during those weeks of worry. There was a glimmer of hope that maybe things would become right again in some manner, but it was a dim one, and they did not know how to go about reaching for it. The silence would have been unnerving if they hadn't all become so familiar with it as of late. But unlike those late nights spent awake in desperate hope, the first one to break it was Twilight who gave a sudden cough, and they all turned their heads to the top of the stairs.

"I'm… I'm awake now…" Twilight hesitantly said.

In a single moment Pinkie Pie had leapt from her chair and was already running up the steps. "TWILIGHT!"

Twilight gasped in surprise, then gave a wide smile as Pinkie Pie threw her arms around her and began nuzzling her cheek.

"I'm so glad you're back!" Pinkie Pie cried as she swung herself to and fro from Twilight's neck.

"I missed you too, Pinkie," Twilight replied, glad for once that she was able to handle her antics with a bit more strength.

"I'm going to throw you the biggest and bestest party you have even seen! It'll have cake, balloons, gifts, pie, fizzlers, and everything!"

Twilight giggled as the weight in her chest seemed to become lighter despite the weight pulling on her, and she wrapped a hoof around Pinkie Pie. "I can't wait to have a Pinkie Pie party."

Pinkie Pie settled down for a moment, and gave Twilight a long hug in return, wiping her eyes with her mane despite having her hoofs full. "I'm so glad you're back…"

After a moment, Pinkie Pie pulled back and gave Twilight a happy grin, then turned her head to everyone below with a determined expression. "I swear by the pony sitting in that chair, if any of you goes missing like Twilight did, I'm never letting you out of my sight again!"

"Pinkie…" Twilight said with a nervous smile.

"No Pinkie's or butts, I mean it," she replied.

Once she was sure she made eye contact with everyone to show her point, Pinkie Pie let herself go from Twilight, and proceeded to bounce back down the stairs. Twilight followed right after, and saw Fluttershy standing at the bottom of the steps with an expectant grin and wet eyes.

"Fluttershy!" Twilight cried as she flew down the remaining steps and embraced her. To Twilight's surprise, Fluttershy gripped her with more strength than she thought was possible from her, and lowered her ears in concern of the sudden sobs that emanated from her.

"Fluttershy, it's okay, I'm back," Twilight said reassuringly as she held her.

"I know," Fluttershy's quiet voice said, having been only audible enough for Twilight's sharp ears. "But I'm with Pinkie on this. You or anypony else can't ever go missing again." Fluttershy gripped even tighter, and she buried her face into Twilight's shoulder. "You girls are my only friends, and I wouldn't know what to do if something happened to any of you…"

"Fluttershy…"

Twilight waited patiently for Fluttershy to calm herself, helping her dry her tears when she did eventually pull herself away. With a reassuring smile, they gave each other one last hug, then went to join everyone by the table. Along the way Celestia's wing gently brushed Twilight's back who returned it with a quick nuzzle, and Spike got a hug as well as he pulled out a seat for her. One way or another, all of them shared a comforting touch with Twilight before she sat herself, then they all waited patiently as she took a drink from the cup of tea Spike prepared for her.

"How you feeling, Sugarcube?" Applejack asked.

"Much better now, thank you," Twilight replied. She looked to both Applejack and Rarity, then blushed as she shrank in her seat a little. "I'm sorry about yesterday."

"Don't think nothing of it," Applejack replied right away as Rarity averted her eyes. "That's what we're here for, and we'll be happy to help you out anytime you get hungry again."

"Thank you," Twilight said, feeling a tear or two beginning to build in her eyes. "But hopefully it won't be much longer. Once I figure out how to cure myself, I'll be back to my old self."

The smiles on everyone's face faded at Twilight's words, and they turned their eyes to something else that wasn't her. Twilight frowned at this, then looked down to Spike's sudden touch as he gave her a saddened expression.

"Twilight," Celestia said, drawing her and everyone's attention. "You know how much faith I have in you and your abilities. You have surpassed levels that only few ponies have ever came close to reaching, and even some feats that Star Swirl The Bearded could not achieve."

"But…" Twilight hesitantly said.

"But… I'm afraid that even you will not be able to find a cure for this."

"I won't know until I try," Twilight replied. "If I just have some time and maybe some reference books from the Crystal Kingdom, I might be able to-"

"Twilight," Celestia interrupted, waiting until she had her full attention. Celestia held a firm look, but it fell away to a sympathetic expression. "I've spent centuries trying to find one. I've had the best and brightest in all generations tackle the problem. Even though Star Swirl with all his mastery on Soul Sight warned me it was not possible, I kept trying, and I still have yet to succeed."

"Star Swirl could use Soul Sight?" Twilight asked in surprise.

"Indeed he could," Celestia replied. "But even so, he was confident there would be no way to reverse vampirism.

"Twilight was able to complete one of Star Swirl's spells," Rarity said. "Who's to say she couldn't find a way to get rid of _it_ that he didn't think of?"

Celestia shook her head. "This is not some spell that he had been on the verge of completing or a theory that he laid the foundation of. This was something he wholeheartedly believed could never be undone. He even actually supported it in some ways."

" _The_ Star Swirl The Bearded thought vampirism was right?" Rarity said in distaste. "I'm sorry, Princess Celestia, but I'm having difficulty in believing that."

"Star Swirl thought many things that not all ponies agreed with," Celestia replied. "Some of those caused him suffering, and others prevented the suffering of others. Regardless, vampirism was not something he believed could ever be undone, and only after centuries of trying to prove that notion wrong, I can no longer but choose to accept it."

"All the bat ponies in Dusk Town…" Twilight said. Celestia's slow nod answered her, and Twilight's eyes fell to the table. "Then I'm stuck like this… Forever…"

Everyone looked to Twilight sorrowfully, all except for Rarity who made a 'tsk' noise. "There has to be something we can do."

"All we can do right now is help Twilight transition into her new lifestyle," Celestia said. "It will not be easy, but we will find a way."

The room became silent once again as those words played across their minds, each of them imagining what the future would hold now that they knew it would no longer be the same as it once was. But with it, a thought crossed Twilight's mind, and she furrowed her brow.

"Wait a minute…"

"What is it, Twilight?" Spike asked.

Twilight's eyes moved about as she wracked her brain, then turned her eyes to Celestia. "You never were able to cure the bat ponies, instead causing mutations to appear, right?"

Celestia nodded. "I'm afraid so."

"Then how did I… I mean, _her_..." Twilight looked down to the table again in deep thought as the others looked at her with questioning glances.

"Twalight, what is it?" Applejack asked.

"Back at Skyline Tower," Twilight began, still staring intently at the wood. "One of the ponies had been transformed into a vampony…"

"Then it is as I feared," Celestia said, narrowing her eyes. "Night Walker is trying to rebuild his forces."

"Probably, but that isn't what's important right now" Twilight said, much everyone's surprise. "I'm trying to remember, but… I think… A cure had been found during my time there. At least, something _close_ to a cure."

Celestia opened her mouth in disbelief, and leaned forward. "You found a way to reverse vampirism?"

"No, not entirely," Twilight answered, finally lifting her gaze from the table. "More like a suppressant. If I remember correctly, if they have blood they become vamponies for a short time, but when they didn't they were are just regular ponies aside from the bat features. No mutations, no illnesses, no problems…"

"Are you certain?" Celestia said with wide eyes. "Are you certain you found a way to save them?"

"I'm not entirely sure, my memory is still vague on the details, but I'm fairly certain that's what happened. Though, I… I wouldn't say that _I_ discovered it…"

"What do you mean?" Celestia asked.

Everyone leaned forward as Twilight closed her eyes and began taking deep breaths, patiently waiting for her to answer. Eventually, Twilight mustered her courage, and she looked to them all, her red eyes flashing in the candlelight.

"I think… I think it's time I told you all about Ruby."


	40. Chapter 40

"Ruby…" Twilight quietly said before trailing off. Her unease was apparent to the others as they waited for her to continue. They briefly glanced amongst each other, catching the notes of confusion and worry in each other's eyes within the candlelight. Among them, Applejack and Rarity held the most concerned expressions at the mention of the name. Then, a moment of panic seemed to come over Twilight as her breathing increased, but she calmed herself with a deep breath, and spoke with trepidation. "Ruby is… A part of me…"

Each pony waited for her to continue, but Twilight was at a loss for words again.

"Twalight," Applejack suddenly said in a soft voice. "Ya can't go blaming yourself for whats happened. You aren't that pony anymore. You never were."

Twilight winced at the statement, but she shook her head in reply. "I… I know… But that's not what I'm trying to explain… Just… Listen, please. Ruby isn't some trick or spell that Night Wal-." Twilight's ears fell when she paused at the name, but made herself to continue. "She isn't some spell Night Walker used to control me. To be honest, I'm still not exactly sure what she is but... She's real, and she's still inside me."

Applejack and Rarity looked to each other with greater concern, Fluttershy drew her hooves close to herself, Spike looked up to Twilight with a confused look, Pinkie Pie merely tilted her head as she blinked, and Celestia wore a stoic and hard face.

"Twilight," Celestia said with a firm voice. "Do you mean to say that even now Ruby is conscious within you?" Twilight shamefully looked away at Celestia's intense stare, but nodded meekly in reply. Celestia's wings quivered ever so slightly at the answer, and she visibly showed a great deal of effort to take a deep breath. Afterwhich, she appeared to have calmed herself, but the look in her eyes remain unchanged.

"Are you able to remove her?"

"No…" Twilight replied.

Celestia's lip tightened, and a silence passed through the room.

When nothing else was said, Rarity furrowed her brow. "What's going on?" she asked looking back and forth between Celestia and Twilight. "Exactly what does this all mean?" When neither answered, she settled her eyes on Twilight and leaned towards her. "Twilight, please answer me. What's happening?"

Twilight pulled her hooves closer to herself and began to rub them against each other. "Well, remember when you met me in Fillydelphia? I… I had called myself Ruby. I'm sure you thought I was suffering amnesia, but the truth is… that wasn't me. _I_ was somewhere inside, only partially aware of what was happening to and around me. I had been like that the entire time. Ever since Night Walker to-… took my memories from me… _She_ had been the one in control."

"So when we tried to tell you we we're yer friends..." Applejack said.

"You weren't talking to me. You we're talking to _her_ ," Twilight replied sorrowfully. "I could hear you, but I could never answer. And no matter how many times I tried…" Twilight's body shook as wheeze escaped her. "She wouldn't listen… She never listened!"

Everyone was quiet as Twilight steadied herself again, all of them trying to calm themselves in kind at Twilight's visible pain. "But now…" Twilight said after a shuddered breath. "Now she's no longer in control. When all my memories came back, something happened to us to cause our positions to switch. Now… she's somewhere inside me…"

The sound of wood splintering caused everyone's ears to perk, and they all turned to Spike who was gripping the edge of the table with such force that he nearly punctured all the way through it. Tears streamed from his eyes, but his pained glare and gritted teeth showed a fire within. " _ **Stealing** _ your memories wasn't enough, so he put another pony in you?"

Twilight's mouth hung open at the glare Spike stared up at her with. She couldn't recall a time seeing him like this, seeing a fire that burned with fury and pain at the same time, or even a time he had been so damaging to furniture. A hurt expression passed over Twilight's face, and she placed a hoof onto Spike's claw.

Spike turned his head as he tried to blink away the tears, but his frown did not disappear, and his grip on the table only lessened slightly beneath Twilight's gentle touch.

Twilight stared long and hard at Spike, then sighed. "No, I don't think he put her inside of me."

"Then how did she get there?" Spike asked.

"I'm not sure," Twilight said as she pulled her hoof away. "To be honest, I'm not sure if she was entirely her own pony to begin with. Ever since Night Walker used that amulet on me, it felt like I was slowly splitting myself apart… I'm not sure how to describe it, but I don't even know when she actually appeared." Twilight turned her head to stare absentmindedly at one of the candles. "It's hazy, but with each passing day she became stronger and stronger. And each time she did, I felt like I was being pushed down, stuffed under a pillow or water. Eventually she wouldn't even acknowledge me, and I became more and more faint…"

The sudden touch of Spike placing a claw on Twilight's legs caused her to flinch, and she turned to him. His scowl still remained on his face, but his watered eyes showed the comfort he tried to convey to her. Twilight gave him a thankful nod as she patted his claw, then turned back to everyone in the room. "Eventually, I found a part of myself that I could hold onto that she couldn't push me away from. I don't know how I did it, but I managed to stay, and even talk to her later."

A smile suddenly appeared on Twilight's face, and her voice held a hint of joy. "Then you girls showed up. I still couldn't remember who you were, but every time you were near me, I could feel something happening. Like a piece of myself I had lost was coming back. It's like you gave me strength to keep going. And when she made me stronger, more aware, it was easier to think about you all."

Twilight smiled at the moments she could recall, how Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash stood by her, fought for her, and even believed in her no matter how many times they were told otherwise. She remembered how she felt when Ruby extended her connections within their soul so that she could feel more, understand more, and develop feelings for things outside of her core. It was during that time that the bat ponies began to fill her heart as well, along with the appearance of Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash. A feeling of pride and deep gratefulness filled her at the thought of what her friends did, but with it came the feeling of dread of also recalling everything Ruby had said to them, and the things she had almost done to them.

All too soon Twilight's mind trailed to the field she had lain in when her memories had returned to her, and the conversation she had with Ruby. Twilight's face became tight at the thought of it, and she had to mentally keep herself in check from flashing her fangs in disgust, a knee-jerk reaction that only madecaused her to feel even more deplorable.

"How do we get rid of it?" Rarity asked with a cold voice.

"I don't know…" Twilight replied.

"There must be a way. That _thing_ can't stay inside of you." Rarity turned to Celestia. "There must be a way to get rid of it, isn't there?"

Celestia did not respond. Instead, her gaze remained fixed on Twilight.

"Princess!" Rarity pressed, glaring until Celestia finally turned her eyes to her. "Is there anything we can do?"

Celestia regarded Rarity for a moment, then turned her eyes back to Twilight who also looked towards her with an equally pressing but more timid expression.

"From what I know of the matter," Celestia began, "it is not an easy thing to remove. It… _She_ is a part of your very being, etched into the fibers of your soul. As to what extent she is a part of you, I cannot say. But am I to understand she was the one in control when we met on the balcony?"

"Yes, and I'm sorry for that," Twilight replied quietly.

"Then it appears she's stable," Celestia said, followed by a defeated sigh. "I do not know of any methods to remove her without damaging you in the process. Even then, I cannot say if she would vanish or not."

"But you know what she is? I mean, more in the sense than what I already know?" Twilight asked, putting her hooves onto the table as she leaned forward. "You know what I'm dealing with?"

"I've never experienced it myself, but yes… I am familiar," Celestia replied. "It was an occurrence I've had the misfortune to come across only a few times. Though, usually they vanished after the pony had recovered back to their normal selves."

"I'm getting confused," Pinkie Pie exclaimed. "Is there a pony inside Twilight or not? How does she even fit?"

"It's not like that, Pinkie," Twilight said. "It's more that she's in my mind."

"Oh," Pinkie Pie said with a much more understanding tone. "Can you say 'hi' to her for me?"

"Pinkie," Rarity all but shouted. "This isn't a game."

"I know that," Pinkie Pie replied. "I just wanted to greet her is all."

"Pinkie, Ah'm with Rarity on this one," Applejack said. "Twalight has… _something_ inside of her. Ah think Ah'm following what's going on, but we need to focus on what to do about it, not throw it a party. Understand, Sugarcube?"

Pinkie Pie gave them a sour face as she placed her hooves onto the table. "I get what's going on too. And besides Me, Princess Celestia, and Twilight, you two keep calling her an it. I don't think that's very nice."

"By Equestria, Pinkie," Rarity said as she brought a hoof to her temple. "This isn't the time for this. This is a serious matter."

"I know it's serious too!" Pinkie Pie replied. "Which is why I'm talking to her." Turning her head back to Twilight, Pinkie Pie asked, "Did she say hi back?"

"Oh, for the love of…" Rarity muttered beneath her breath.

"Uh… No, she didn't," Twilight said.

"What's the matter? Can't she talk?"

"Pinkie Pie, I'd rather we didn't do this…" Twilight said. "She isn't a pony I want to talk to..."

Pinkie Pie lowered her ears as she leaned back into her chair. "Oh… Okay. I just figured she was lonely was all."

"Why would it be lonely?" Rarity asked with a wave of her hoof.

"Because she's far away from her bat ponies," Pinkie Pie replied.

Everyone stared at Pinkie Pie like she was the most absurd thing they had ever seen, all except Twilight who widened her eyes at the statement, and clutched her chest at a faint tingling sensation within her.

 _~...~_

Twilight's pulse rose as she gripped the table, forcing herself to pay attention to anything other than the brief contact within herself.

"Back to the matter at hoof," Celestia said, waiting until everyone's attention was on her. "Twilight, you said that she found a cure for the bat ponies."

"Y-Yes, that's right," Twilight replied.

Celestia nodded in her direction before stepping down from her chair, an action everyone else did as well a moment later. "I must return to Canterlot. There is much I must discuss with my sister."

"You're going already?" Twilight asked in a quiet voice.

Celestia gave her a warm smile, then walked over to her so that she could pull Twilight into an embrace with her wings. "I'm sorry I must leave so soon." Wrapping her wings around Twilight tighter, Celestia rested her cheek against Twilights who eagerly returned the comforting gesture. "I am overjoyed to have you back, my dear Twilight," Celestia whispered. "We will talk more when I return. But for now, rest, and be with your friends. You will get through this, of that I'm sure. I trust that you will be able to recover from all of this."

"I'll try," Twilight whispered back, pressing into her as a tear formed.

"I'm certain you will," Celestia replied.

After squeezing each other one last time, they regretfully pulled away, and Celestia turned to face them all. "I'll return when I can. Until then, I ask that you all remain in Ponyville. A flight of my guards will remain here for the time being. Mayor Mare has graciously given them temporary board and food at the town hall. If you have any need of their assistance, please let them know. Until I return, my little ponies, take care of yourselves."

With one last nod and reassuring smile, Celestia made for the door, then vanished into the night, her golden aura illuminating the door's handle it as closed behind her.

Twilight stood staring at the door until Spike gently placed a claw on her leg, giving her a supportive smile as she wiped a tear from her eye. In return, she pulled him close for a hug, then the two of them went back to the table. Everyone else sat themselves as well, and they all looked amongst each other for what to say next.

"So," Pinkie Pie said first. "Did she say hi yet?"

* * *

"It's strange," Twilight said.

"Hmm?" Rarity replied.

Twilight forlornly stared into the her cup of freshly poured tea she held, tilting it slightly as she idly watched the candlelight flash across its surface. "With everything that's happened, I've gotten these moments where things almost feel like they're normal. Like none of this had happened at all." Sighing to herself, she brought the cup down to her lap. "Then like that, it's gone…"

Rarity sat across from Twilight, the two of them sitting on cushioned chairs near one of the covered windows. Rarity turned to look at Spike and Pinkie Pie asleep on the floor, sharing a blanket and pillow due to the rest having been kicked away while dreaming. Applejack made a noise now and again from the kitchen, and Fluttershy was away tending to her animals that would soon wake with the dawn. Rarity turned back to Twilight, and stared into her crimson eyes.

"I know the feeling…" Rarity quietly said.

"... I'm sorry all of this happened…"

"Twilight, you can't blame yourself," Rarity replied. "None of this is your fault."

"But if I'd done things differently then none of this would have happened," Twilight pressed. "If I'd never gotten close to Night Walker, or tried to do handle everything on my own, then all of this could have been avoided..."

Rarity felt her gut tighten at Twilight's sorrowful face staring at her, then turned away. "I wish you hadn't either…"

It took only a moment for Rarity to widen her eyes at her comment, and she quickly turned back to Twilight who wore a stunned expression. "T-That's not what I meant!" Rarity exclaimed as she leaned forward and reached a hoof towards Twilight. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that!"

Twilight gave her a pained glance, but it vanished quickly beneath a sad smile. "It's okay…"

"Twilight, I-"

Twilight shook her head as she set her cup aside on an end table. "I'm sorry. You have every right to be mad at me. I'm the reason you all had to search for me. I'm the reason why you have that scar on your leg. And I'm the reason why ponies are dead…"

"Twilight..."

Twilight closed her eyes, and tears began to trail down her cheeks. Yet, still she smiled. "I'm supposed to be a princess, and all I've done is be kidnapped and controlled by a mad pony. Because of that, other ponies are dead. All because I let myself be taken. They died because of me. I still remember some of their faces and… and... " A shaky laugh escaped Twilight that turned into a wheeze, followed by a gasp of air as her smile finally gave way. "And now I'll never get to meet them like I should have. I was too scared of being a princess that now I'll never be able to take care of them!"

With a dreadful anxiety, Twilight clutched her hooves together. "I'll never be able to live with myself for everythings that happened. I'll never be able to wash this blood from my hooves! I… I don't know what to do!"

The pain in her chest caused Twilight to grab her stomach, feeling that she might become sick as her mind raced through her violent memories. But despite the heartbreaking pain, Twilight found she was able to stop herself from crying further, somehow. A faint breath left her lips, and a sudden but hollow feeling rose up inside her as she stared absentmindedly at the ground. Her thoughts slowed, and her body felt heavy. Her pain remained a deep ache, but it was dull for the moment, bringing an uneasy numbness.

 _I'll never be able to give back the lives my hooves have taken… even if I wasn't the one that moved them…_

Twilight's eyes glazed over at the empty feeling that filled her, and her body slumped in her chair. Whether this strange sensation was better than feeling the remorse she felt she needed to bear, she could not tell, but her numbed state did not last long when Rarity's faint cries reached her ears.

"Please, Twilight… Don't make me hate you…"

Twilight blinked as her mind snapped out of the lethargic state, and turned her eyes to Rarity who was all but beset with herself. She had wrapped her hooves around her body as tightly as she could, and her face was contorted as she cried from her shut eyes.

Staring opened mouth in confusion at Rarity, then tentatively reached a hoof towards her. However, the moment she touched her, Rarity to flinch as if in pain, causing Twilight to quickly withdraw her hoof.

"Rarity, what's wrong?"

Rarity shook her head as she buried her face behind her hooves, her body rocking forward and back ever so slightly.

"Rarity!" Twilight exclaimed in a hoarse voice. Fresh tears began to fall at Rarity's unresponsive and worrying behavior, and Twilight found her wings quivering as her heart fell. "R-Rarity, please! What's wrong? Do…" Twilight swallowed a lump that had appeared in her throat. "... Do you really hate me?"

Rarity finally lifted her head, and looked to Twilight with watered eyes as her chin trembled. "No! I don't!"

"Then what's wrong?" Twilight asked, extending her hooves out to her for comfort once again.

Rarity stared apprehensive at Twilight's outstretched hooves, then hesitantly extended hers towards them. Much to Twilight's relief, the moment Rarity touched her she held onto them as tightly as she could, but it was only a brief alleviation of her concern as Rarity's shoulders rocked from forced back sobs.

Twilight waited patiently for Rarity to get the worst of it out of her, using the time to recollect herself as well. Eventually when Rarity's breathing had become more even, and her body no longer felt like it was able to shake any further, she took a deep breath, and pulled a hoof back for only a moment to wipe her eyes.

"Do… Do you know anything about the Gemstone family?" Rarity asked with a shaky voice.

Taken aback at the academic question, Twilight answered, "I know they were the rulers of a kingdom that existed a thousand years ago. There aren't many records left about them, but they supposedly had a prosperous rule until a disaster of some kind crumbled their kingdom." Twilight gently tightened her hold on Rarity's hooves. "What do they have to do with this?"

Rarity sniffed as her breathing steadied, and she focused her eyes to the ground. "Well… It seems those ponies who attacked you were the descendants of that royal family. Princess Celestia explained it to myself and Applejack." Rarity's voice was quiet at first, but she grew more confident with each word. "Long ago, their kingdom suffered an attack of… Celestia, how else am I supposed to say it… _undead_ ponies. I can only imagine how horrible that must have been. Shambling corpses and rotting fle-AUGH! I can hardly think about it!" Rarity shivered at the idea. Even as she thought about it, she tried to pull her hooves away from Twilight, but forced herself to stay connected.

"When… When their kingdom fell… They sought revenge on all undead. They found a unicorn to make a pact, a deal, or a curse, I'm not entirely certain. But in the end, they swore an eternal oath of vengeance against all undead."

"That's… Well… Wow, I don't know what to say to that," Twilight replied in genuine astonishment.

"But their oath didn't stay as strong as they hoped over the years," Rarity said. "Something about dilluded bloodlines and fading spells."

"And this has to do with you how?" Twilight asked, though a unsettling idea had already begun to take root in the back of her mind.

To her growing fear, Rarity hesitantly looked into her eyes, showing all the sorrow, dread, and conflict that was within her.

"The Gemstone's had one defining feature, something that only they had at the time during their rule. Each royal member had a pure white coat, and dark hue of a mane that was like the night."

Twilight's eyes flashed over Rarity's hooves, then to her hair, then back to her eyes. Rarity, however, shamefully averted her gaze.

"Rarity," Twilight said with a reassuring smile. "Do you know how many ponies had similar coats? It's not like the Gemstone's were the only ponies who were white and purple. Ponies back then always proclaimed some bold or unique feat."

"I know that," Rarity replied though while still looking away. "But…But I am a descendant of them. I know because I _felt_ it, Twilight. Their magical curse is in me, and I'm afraid of what it will make me do…"

"That's ridiculous," Twilight pressed. "How do you know that's true?"

"... Do you remember the construction yard?"

Twilight blinked as she frowned to recall what that meant, but the hazy memories soon came, and Twilight's comforting mood vanished at the recollection of that night.

Rarity pulled her hooves away, finding no resistance from Twilight. "That night when we fought for you… I was overcome by something. A strange state of mind…" Rarity's breathing had returned to a calm and steady state as she looked away as if staring into the distance, anywhere that wasn't Twilight. "Everything felt so simple, so easy. It was like there was nothing I needed to concern myself with. I just needed to do what I needed to do. And because of that… I hurt many ponies…"

Twilight's eyes widened at the statement, and she saw how Rarity narrowed her eyes ever so slightly from her memories, an action Twilight had become all too familiar with of late.

"I don't know how much you remember, but I stood by your side, defending you with everything I had."

"I remember…" Twilight quietly said before flashing her a small smile. "It was only because of you that I got away."

Rarity briefly looked at Twilight, but shamefully turned away again. "But that isn't everything… Celestia how I wished it _were_ the only thing I needed to worry about…"

"What do you mean?" Twilight asked with worry. Sitting at the edge of her seat, Twilight grabbed Rarity's hooves again and held onto them until she finally looked at her. "What's wrong?"

A breath escaped Rarity at seeing Twilight's eyes widen with concern for her, and she could no longer hold it back. Without hesitation, Rarity fell forward into Twilight who caught her in her arms. Twilight gasped in surprise as the two of them fell from their chairs and onto the floor with each other, much like they had been yesterday. Though, instead of Rarity brushing a soothing hoof across Twilight's frantic form, it was Twilight comforting Rarity.

"I don't want to hate you!" Rarity cried as she buried her face into Twilight's shoulder. "I don't want to hate any of my friends! I don't want to be an awful pony who hates her friends, but I can't sta-ah-ah-ahop!"

Twilight opened her mouth to reply, but instead choose to continue rubbing Rarity's back in a reassuring manner all while quietly crying along with her.

"It's only happened a few times, but those awful ponies said it would keep happening!" Rarity continued, her voice becoming more erratic and high pitched. "They wanted me to perform some horrible ritual to make me like that all the time. As if I would ever! But even without it, I've felt terrible towards you! I should never feel like that! Not to you, or any of the girls! And I… I… I'm afraid it won't stop!"

Rarity shamelessly poured all her anguish and plight into Twilight's shoulder, uncaring at how disheveled her hair was becoming or the streaks of tears on her coat. And through it all, Twilight took every moment of it, never letting her hold onto Rarity's shaking form lessen or the gentle caress of her hoof on her back cease.

Yet, aside from Rarity's muffled wails, a stifling silence filled the room, and Twilight carefully looked about without letting go of Rarity. Pinkie Pie and Spike were awake, staring wide-eyed towards her and Rarity, and behind them, Applejack in the doorway to the kitchen. Twilight held a small smile as she gave them a nod, and they all made their way towards her.

The three of them positioned themselves around Rarity and Twilight, and with one motion, embraced Rarity with their arms. Rarity's cries stopped as she quickly pulled her head away from Twilight, sniffling and trying to catch her breath as she stared at all of them in surprise.

"We're here for you, Rarity," Twilight said, drawing her focus. Twilight gave her the warmest of smiles as her eyes watered, and she gave a slight chuckle. "Just like you were there for me yesterday. No matter what, we'll always have each other."

The nodding grins and whispers of reassurance from the others caused Rarity's vision to blur, and she threw herself back to Twilight, letting herself be comforted by the close presence of her friends while she let out the all of the fears that had plagued her mind.

How long they all held each other, none of them could say. But eventually light began to brighten the room through the covered windows, signaling the dawn, and they reluctantly withdrew from Rarity only after she insisted.

"Really, I'm fine now… Thank you all…" Rarity said as she wiped her eyes.

"Here," Spike said, offering her a handkerchief.

"Thank you, darling," Rarity said as she levitated it towards her.

"Glad to see ya using yer magic again," Applejack commented with a sly smile.

Rarity blinked in surprise as she paused, then looked over the glowing piece of cloth. For a moment it looked like Rarity would break down again as her chin trembled at the sight of her aura, but she remained strong as she continued to wipe her eyes with it.

Applejack gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder, then took the handkerchief away when she was done with it.

"Looks like it's morning," Pinkie Pie commented as she looked at the covered window that grew brighter by the moment.

"Yeah…" Twilight forlornly said as she too looked.

A quietness filled the room as they all watched the blocking fabric become brighter and brighter. Yet, unlike the stifling silence that held an air of dread that had so many times befallen them over these last hours, days, and weeks, this one held a different quality. It was not unnerving, nor was it comfortable. It was an inbetween, the moment before a change.

Then, a knock at the door broke that quietness, and they all turned towards the front entrance. "Ah wonder if that's Dash," Applejack said as she moved towards it. Opening the door, Applejack cautiously peered out into the morning lit street, and stood there for a good moment.

"Is it Dashie?" Pinkie Pie asked.

Applejack pulled her head back and turned to them with a surprised expression. "No, it ain't her. Twalight… You better come over here."

Twilight gave a confused look, then hesitantly made her way to the door as Applejack stepped aside. Carefully opening the door just wide enough for her to peek out the door, she saw the two bodies of armed stallions standing at sides of her front steps. Their golden armor shone in the morning light, and they stoically looked forward and away from the library. Opening the door a little more, Twilight followed their gaze, then gasped.

Out on the street, and piled about in a large mass, were the majority of Ponyville's residents. They all stood patiently in front of the library, holding onto various baskets, bags, and wrapped gifts. Some of them even held large banners that said 'Welcome Home' that were decorated in ribbons and glitter. Then, one of them spotted Twilight who had inadvertently opened the door further the more she stared, and they erupted in chorus.

"Princess Twilight!"

"You're back!"

"We missed you!"

"Are you okay? How are you feeling?"

"Twilight!"

"The Princess is back!"

"Welcome home!"

The ponies began to cheer as ribbons were thrown into the air and they all looked towards her with large grins and hopeful eyes.

Twilight stood in shock in the doorway, her wide eyes looking across all of their happy and relieved faces with her mouth agape. In moments Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Spike, and Applejack were behind her, staring out to the crowd with astonished faces. Pinkie Pie, however, quickly grinned as she threw her arms in the air. "Why did nopony tell me we were throwing a party!? I would have brought more ribbons!"

"You didn't do this?" Rarity asked in disbelief.

"Nope, but I wished I did now!"

"Excuse me, your highness," one of the guard ponies said.

"Y-Yes?" Twilight replied, unable to take her eyes off the cheering crowd.

"They appeared just before dawn. We've already explained to them that if they wish to deliver their gifts, they will need to form an organized line. They agreed, but they insisted that they first gave you a _Pinkie_ celebration of your return on our condition that they must wait for you to appear so as not to disturb you."

"They've been waiting for me this whole time?"

"Yes, Princess," he replied. "It seems they have been waiting for you for a while now."

The cheering ponies chorus did not lessen as the sun continued to rise, showing their bright eyes and happy faces more clearly by the minute.

Twilight took a step out from the library, her eyes still wide at the display as tears began to trickle down. Another step, and she found her hoof was now in the daylight. The sun's touch was as uncomfortable as it had been the first time in the field, but whether it was the fresh blood within her, or the adoration and joy that overwhelmed her senses, the sunlight all of a sudden didn't seem so bad.

Then at last, a wide smile appeared on Twilight's face, and she openly cried as the ponies continued to shout out her name with 'welcomes' and moved towards her. The guard ponies began to move to create order, but paused at Twilight's outstretched hoof in their direction. They gave each other a quick glance, then settled back to their spots as they scanned the crowd.

Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Spike stepped out of the library as well, but choose to stand by the guards. They watched with large smiles as Twilight met the crowd, then became enveloped by it. Gifts were being handed to her left and right, hugs and comforting pats never seemed to stop, and smiling and crying faces exclaimed their joys and fears. Unbeknownst to Twilight, the whole town had been affected by her absence, and now that they all had the chance, they were determined to let her know. They were determined to show that they missed their princess.

"Ya know," Applejack said. "Sometimes it's easy to forget that she's a princess now."

Rarity smirked as a filly who had latched on too tightly was pulled up with Twilight's head, finding that Twilight was all too willing to nuzzle her in return. "Yes, indeed it is. She had been so set on being treated normally that everypony eventually stopped showing it. I suppose she doesn't really know how much this town cares for her, even before she became a princess."

"That's Twilight for you," Spike said with a grin and crossing his arms.

"Yes, that is our Twilight," Rarity agreed.

The three of them waited patiently as each pony had a turn in welcoming back Twilight, a fanfare that only promised to be repeated at ponies insistence that they throw a celebration of her return. The joy that filled Twilight was beyond anything she expected for her return in Ponyville. How its inhabitants would react to her and treat her from now on had been a source of dread for her since her arrival. She wondered if they would fear her when she slunk passed their houses that night, if they would look to her in anger or terror at her crimson eyes and red stained cutie mark. But what they had done was beyond her imagination, and she could not help but continue to cry in happiness as the rows of faces welcomed her back. It was a joy of being surrounded by loved ones that she had only ever experienced with a much smaller amount of ponies. It was a joy that permeated down to her very core, and stirred feelings of similar moments that had filled her body in the same way sometime ago with different ponies.

 _~...~_


	41. Chapter 41

_A few days later…_

"We're back!" Twilight announced as she closed the library door behind her, then walked towards Rarity who was already dropping her bags near the desk.

"Hey, dinner's almost ready!" Spike shouted from the kitchen.

"We're making pasta and strudels!" Pinkie Pie added.

Rarity shook her head as Twilight levitated her bags down as well. "I swear, all those sweets are going to catch up to her someday." Twilight merely smiled at the comment as she removed her wide brimmed sun hat off her head and placed it onto the desk.

"Are you sure you do not want an ensemble, dear?" Rarity asked as she eyed the plain hat for the umpteenth time. "I can make plenty of complementary outfits to go with your new hat once it's finished. Perhaps a piece to help shield your body in the dawn and sunset, and maybe another that's light and breezy when it's noon? Oh! I have some lovely dress designs for the coming winter as well. I can make something that feels light but still provides enough covering to keep you warm, which I'm sure will be more than helpful with the sunlight."

"It's okay, Rarity," Twilight replied with a meek smile. "All I need is a hat. But if you really want to make all those outfits, I won't say no to them."

Rarity tutted. "There's no point in making them if you aren't going to wear them."

"Can't you make them for somepony else?"

"I most certainly will not!" Rarity exclaimed as she began pulling out various fabrics from the bags. "The designs I have in mind will not be available in any seasonal line up. They'll be one of a kind, and they'll only be for you. I've been meaning to have a sit down with you since you became a princess to discuss this, but now is a better time than any. A princess needs her _own_ wardrobe, something that is hers and is recognizable. Furthermore, you are in dire need for some clothing now that the sunlight doesn't treat you as well as it did before."

Rarity paused in her sorting before looking back to Twilight. "I'm sorry, was that too sensitive?"

"No, it wasn't," Twilight replied as she began to help pull things out. "To be honest, it's actually kind of nice to not skirt around the issue. There's no point in tip-hoofing over it anymore."

"Nor is there any point to treat it so brashly," Rarity replied. She bumped sides with Twilight and offered a smile. "Just let me know when you need a shoulder, okay, darling?"

Twilight lowered her ears and nodded. "Same for you."

The two of them shared a quick embrace before turning back to the bags of supplies, sorting the final pieces out into neat piles of materials, fabrics, needles, string, and gems. Rarity ran her eyes over the various colored gems she had picked out, and brought her hoof to her chin in thought. "Are you sure you don't want something extravagant? It would be no problem to run back to the shop and get some feathers."

"This plenty enough," Twilight replied.

"Are you certain? I have some wonderful peacock and quail feathers from Fluttershy that would complement the large style of the hat."

"I'm fine, really," Twilight said. "This is more than enough, thank you."

Rarity gave her a sidelong glance, then sighed. "I suppose I should start out with something simple, shouldn't I? Celestia knows I've been hesitant on picking up the needle again."

"If you don't want to-"

"No, I shan't hear it!" Rarity interrupted. "I am a designer, and I can not let my troubles prevent me from doing my job anymore." Rarity gave a firm nod to nothing in particular, but when her eyes passed over her various tools that she would float around herself, a hint of apprehension showed on her face. "Although… I suppose there's nothing wrong in taking it slow…"

"Dinner's ready!" Pinkie Pie suddenly announced as she and Spike appeared with trays from the kitchen.

Rarity's hesitation faded away as she shook her head, and she gave a determined grin to her tools before turning away. "Wonderful. A quick bite to eat and we can get started," Rarity stated as she and Twilight met them at the table.

"Fluttershy and Applejack aren't back yet I take it?" Twilight asked as she sat down.

"Not yet," Spike replied.

"I'm sure she'll be here soon," Pinkie Pie said. "The sun's nearly down."

Twilight looked to one of the windows that had a set of impromptu curtains drawn open halfway, and saw the orange glow of the sunset shining across Ponyville. "I hope so. Do you think she'll let me help her tomorrow?"

"Most likely not," Rarity answered. "I doubt working the orchard would be healthy for you."

Twilight sighed as she stared out the window. Her fixated gaze was not missed by the other three, and when it was clear she wouldn't be looking away anytime soon, Rarity gently placed her hoof onto Twilight's.

Twilight flinched at the sudden touch, then became red as a sheepish smile appeared on her face. "Sorry. I keep doing that, huh?"

"It's alright, darling," Rarity said gently.

Twilight exhaled, then turned to the bowls of pasta Spike and Pinkie Pie had already placed for them all. Leaning forward, Twilight gave it a small sniff, then let out a happy hum. "This smells great. What did you put in it?"

"Just your regular dandelion pasta with seasoning," Pinkie Pie answered happily.

"That can't be all," Twilight said as she levitated her fork to pick scoop some up. "Nothing's smelled this good for me in awhile."

"Of course nothing has! Nopony can make tasty, scrumptious food like me!" Pinkie Pie said while spreading her arms out wide. "Buuuuuut, this may taste extra special because of the super, extra _special_ ingredient I added."

"What is it?"

"Why don't you taste it and find out!" Pinkie Pie said while grinning.

Twilight lifted her fork that held a hefty amount of pasta wrapped around it, and gave it another sniff, smiling at its aroma. After she could no longer stand it, she took a bite, and let out another happy hum as she placed the rest in her mouth. "Pinkie, thish ish sho good!"

"You really like it?" Pinkie Pie excitedly asked.

Twilight swallowed, and began to pick up more with her fork. "It's amazing! I thought I would never taste food the same again. It's so sweet for a pasta, but it has this heavy taste. It's almost reminds me of-"

Twilight suddenly dropped her fork, and stared at the pasta with wide eyes.

"What's the matter? Doesn't it taste good?" Pinkie Pie asked while tilting her head.

"Pinkie… What did you put in this?" Twilight asked in shock.

"Well… Just a little something I thought you would like…" Pinkie Pie answered as she began to fidget with her hooves.

"You didn't… Did you?"

Pinkie Pie gave her a sheepish smile. "Maybe a little?"

Twilight stared dumbfounded at Pinkie Pie until Rarity suddenly spewing pasta from her mouth and drew their attention. "Pinkie!" she screamed in sudden understanding. "Did you put blood in this?"

"Not in yours, silly," Pinkie Pie said with a wave of her hoof. "Just Twilight's."

"Spike! Did you let her do this?" Twilight asked.

"M-Maybe," he replied while poking his claws together.

"You drink blood, don't you? I thought you would like it," Pinkie Pie said.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I want to!"

"I just thought that maybe a little blood seasoned pasta might help pick you up. You know, since you've been a little happier lately and it's been a few days since you drank," Pinkie Pie explained while motioning with her hooves. "I thought, 'Hey, Pinkie! Let's make Twilight's dinner tonight extra special!' It was harder than I thought it would be to make, and I was worried it wouldn't turn out well, but you like it! Which is great! I bet I could even make a cupcake version. I was thinking of even calling it a Bloodcake!"

Twilight opened her mouth to protest further, but paused as a thought crossed her mind. "Pinkie… Whose blood did I just eat?"

Pinkie Pie shifted her front left leg behind her right, and gave Twilight a reassuring grin. "You don't need to worry about me."

"Pinkie," Twilight moaned as she left her seat. "Let me see it."

Pinkie Pie sat on her haunches as she hesitantly extended her leg out for Twilight to see, all the while smiling as reassuringly as she could.

It took only a moment for Twilight to find the cut, and she groaned at the sight of it. "Pinkie, this isn't how you do it. It's far too deep and, geeze... Spike, go get the medical kit."

Pinkie Pie's smile faltered, and her ears fell as Twilight inspected the wound. "I'm sorry… I just wanted to make something special for you."

Twilight gave an exasperated sigh, but a small smile appeared on her face. "It's okay… It's just… It's still hard to get used to. I don't want to hurt anypony."

"But it'll help, right?"

"Unfortunately," Twilight answered as she parted the fur around the wound. "Being in the sunlight hasn't been too stressing. Applejack and Rarity's blood is still sustaining me, and the hat has been doing its job fairly well. I probably could have gone quite a bit longer before I needed another drink."

"Oh," Pinkie Pie replied sullenly. "... Are you going to eat the rest?"

Twilight looked up to Pinkie Pie's downcast face, then sighed. "Yes, I'll finish eating it."

Pinkie Pie's mood brighten immediately, and she could hardly keep herself still as Spike arrived with the kit. "So, how do I taste?"

"I'm not going to answer that," Twilight deadpanned as she started disinfecting the cut.

"Awww."

Once Pinkie Pie was taken care of, they all returned to the table and continued the dinner, though Twilight did it with much less enthusiasm than before. Idle conversation filled the air as they talked about various things. Things such as catching up on the recent events in Ponyville, discussing details of Twilight's hat, or just talking about something silly or irrelevant. It was simple, normal, and it helped them all feel like things were going back to the way things were before.

Later during dessert, and after Pinkie Pie promised she hadn't tried creating any blood seasoned pastries just yet, they began on the strudels. Pinkie Pie had also baked a plate for the guards ponies who continuously took shifts guarding the library and patrolling the town's border, and was just in the middle of handing some out to the two by the door before she suddenly looked up to the sky.

"Dashie's back!" she exclaimed in excitement.

"Really?" Twilight asked as she hopped out of her chair. Rushing to the door, Twilight all but lept onto the street, and she craned her head upwards. Though the sunset on the horizon caused her to squint, she spotted the familiar trail of rainbows crossing the sky, a trail that in moments made a sharp turn directly towards the library.

"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight called out with all the air in her lungs.

"Twilight!" Rainbow Dash's distant voice shouted back.

Twilight beat her wings in excitement, and nearly flung herself upwards to meet her. But decided to instead remain where she was, watching with bated breath each moment Rainbow Dash drew closer.

It had hardly taken any time at all for Rainbow Dash to finish her speedy descent, and she practically propelled herself full speed into Twilight with open hooves. Much to Twilight's relief, her newfound strength aided greatly in withstanding the high speed tackle.

"Twilight!" Rainbow Dash shouted while squeezing tightly, only taking a moment to rub her eyes with her hoof.

"Rainbow!" Twilight replied, shamelessly letting herself cry as well.

Rainbow Dash gave another squeeze, then pulled away just enough so that she could see Twilight's face. "I'm sorry it took me so long! Are you okay? Are your memories back? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine!" Twilight exclaimed as she pulled Rainbow Dash in for another hug. "I'm back and I'm fine!"

Rainbow Dash gave a loud laugh, then picked up Twilight so that she could swing her around. "Don't you ever vanish on us again! If you do, I'll… I'll… I'll never let you out of my sight again!"

Twilight happily laughed at the familiar statement, then carefully placed her back hooves onto the ground so that she too could swing Rainbow Dash, and she did so with such force that it caused Rainbow Dash to yelp in surprise. "I'll never let it happen again!" Twilight exclaimed.

The two of them shared their bonding moment on the street until Rarity felt enough time had passed to comment that the food was getting cold, something that Rainbow Dash eagerly answered as she zoomed in for a bowl for herself. Only an hour later, Applejack and Fluttershy returned to the library as well, and the reunion broke out in full swing. Laughter filled the library as each of them wore a happy face, and for a single evening, all felt right in their worlds again.

* * *

"After the surgery, the doc came out to fill me in. She… She isn't going to be able to fly ever again…"

Rainbow Dash hung her head at the final sentence, having recounted everything that had happened since she caught Gilda during her freefall.

It was late into the night, and only Rarity, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash were awake as they sat in a circle on the floor. Pinkie Pie and Spike were asleep in their usual mess of blankets and pillows a short distance away, Applejack had taken the couch, having passed out early from catching up on chores at Sweet Apple Acres, and Fluttershy was asleep in the guest bedroom solely for the fact everyone else insisted that she be the one to use it.

"I'm so sorry," Twilight said.

"Not your fault…" Rainbow Dash mumbled.

"I tried to stop her," Twilight continued with a soft voice. "I really did… I remember everything about that horrible moment in the sky. When Night Walker started to move towards you, I screamed and begged for her to do something, anything. But she-"

Twilight paused when she felt Rarity place a hoof on her back, knowing what would be said if she continued. Instead, she simply turned her head away for a moment to wipe her eyes.

"It's alright, Twilight," Rainbow Dash said, looking to Twilight worryingly. "I know you tried. You kept fighting all this time. That's all you could do. If it wasn't for you, none of us would be here now. You stopped Ruby from doing worse. What almost happened isn't your fault."

Twilight sniffed, and rubbed her eyes before they could water again. "It doesn't mean I still don't feel horrible about it…"

"We know, darling," Rarity cooed. "We all feel awful…"

"Um, Rares… how's your uh…" Rainbow Dash hesitantly asked.

Rarity sighed, then gave her a small smile. "Better than I thought it would be. Twilight and I have spent quite a bit of time with each other these last few days. It… It hasn't proven to be a distraction."

"But it's still there?" Rainbow Dash asked with a frown.

Rarity shrugged. "Twilight's been understanding, and I'm beginning to accept it myself. No matter what happened in the past, I refuse to let it come between Twilight and I." Rarity then shared a hopeful glance with Twilight, and Rainbow Dash seemed more at ease from it. But her frown quickly return, and she glared at the floor.

"I can't believe all of this…" Rainbow Dash said in a low tone. "Stupid Hunters and Night Walker… What the hay are they doing this all for? Why do they gotta hurt other ponies?" Rainbow Dash furrowed her eyebrows, then mumbled, "Why… Why do ponies have to die?"

"It's complicated," Twilight said in a quiet voice as her eyes drifted to the floor as well. "Night Walker believes he's helping the bat ponies. He's completely wrong in how he's doing it, but… He does care for them, I think."

"If he thinks turning into vamponies is helping them, he's more messed up than I thought," Rainbow Dash grumbled.

Twilight's narrowed her eyes as her face became tight. "Yeah… He is…"

"The Hunters are no better," Rarity added, her mood also souring at the topic. "Honestly, holding onto a vendetta for a thousand years? Did they also forget that they promised Princess Celestia they would be a part of the Royal Guard ever since she and Princess Luna took in the bat ponies? Royal Guard means they must protect you, Twilight, as well."

"Wait, what?" Rainbow Dash asked in a mixture of surprise and anger. "Princess Celestia actually let those low lifes near her?"

Rarity nodded. "She explained it to Applejack and I on the ride back to Ponyville. When Night Walker vanished all those years ago the vamponies turned to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna for refuge. The Hunters were against it, and nearly attacked their kingdom because of it. But the Princesses convinced them otherwise, and the Hunters vowed they would join the kingdom and become the guards that would watch over the vamponies until they were finally cured." Rarity narrowed her eyes as she too looked towards the floor. "It seems not all of them agreed to that promise, and kept alive certain traditions throughout the years in secret should they ever need to call upon their powers again. Princess Celestia didn't ban their practices, but she had hoped it would fade away with time. She didn't want their cursed grudge to spread through the generations..."

Rainbow Dash looked at Rarity with new sympathy, but it only took a moment for her to perk her ears from a sudden thought. "Wait… Does that mean…" Rainbow Dash looked to Twilight with a worried glance. "Is… Is Shining Armor? And has anypony told him yet?"

Twilight's face became sullen. "I asked Princess Celestia to wait for a bit before letting my family know I'm back. They'll know soon, but… I wanted some time first to prepare myself. As for Shining Armor… I'm not sure..."

"It's very likely that he won't share _this_ with me," Rarity said reassuringly. "While it has only been found in ponies with our coat and mane coloration, it's been diluted to the point that it's nearly nonexistent."

"Then why do you have it?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I'm afraid I'm not entirely certain," Rarity replied. "Princess Celestia only mentioned that it has to do with the soul, and I can't comment on that."

Rarity and Rainbow Dash turned to Twilight who blinked before raising an eyebrow. "What?"

"Didn't you say you could see souls or something?" Rainbow Dash said.

Twilight frowned. "No, I said _Ruby_ could. Well, I've seen them too, but it's not like I know much about them. Ruby… Ruby kept all the knowledge…"

"Why did you let her take it?"

Twilight lowered her ears as she laid herself onto the ground. "I didn't want anything to do with her, vamponies, or anything else related. When I tried to tear her connections apart in the field I was trying to get rid of everything. I almost killed myself doing it too…" Twilight stared at the wooden floor as she mentally berated herself at the memory, but with it came a thought, and she perked her ears. "Actually… There was a time I saw souls before she existed, before my memories were taken away."

"Really?" Rarity asked in surprise.

"Yeah, it was just before Night Walker came over," Twilight said as she sat herself up. "Remember when we tried using the Elements of Harmony? Everything was going normal, the Elements lifted us up and…" Twilight furrowed her brow as she tried to recall the details of the vague memory. "I saw our souls, I think… There were these arcs of energy, and they were connecting us all together, synchronizing us as our souls began to resonate."

"They did what now?" Rainbow Dash asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Resonate, it's when you bounce an energy back onto itself in such a way that it creates even more energy, allowing a pony to build a powerful pool of magic. It very dangerous, and it can lead to disastrous effects on the caster, and of course the target of whatever spell they are casting, but…" Twilight's eyes flashed across the floor her mind spun on the subject, placing pieces together that she had failed to see fitting before. "I think… I think the Elements of Harmony use some variation or even the same methods as Soul and Alicorn magic." She lifted her head and looked to both Rainbow Dash and Rarity. "It uses all six of our souls as its power, something that wouldn't be possible if we weren't so close together…"

"Twilight?" Rarity asked when Twilight's voice trailed off as she become lost in thought again.

To both her and Rainbow Dash's relief, Twilight smiled only moments later, and she looked to them again. "It all makes sense now! That's why Princess Celestia wanted me to make friends. We would have never been able to use the Elements to stop Nightmare Moon if we didn't have some connection. It was enough to break her free of her plight, and later our bonds became powerful enough to stop even Discord." Twilight's smile grew even wider at the implications that came to her mind. "The only reason we can use the Elements of Harmony is because we're so close to each other, our souls can share the same wavelength and connect to each other in a way that's not normally possible. It really is the magic of friendship!"

Rarity and Rainbow Dash both smiled at the thought, and then all three of them turned to Pinkie Pie and Applejack's sleeping form, and to the stairs that led to the spare room Fluttershy was in.

"We really are close to each other, we're more than just friends…" Twilight quietly said with a heartwarming grin.

They took a moment to consider that deep truth, until that is, Rainbow Dash spoke. "Um, speaking of Discord, where the hay is he? Shouldn't he be able to snap his fingers and stop all this?"

Twilight's smile turned into a grimace, and her voice notably dropped a few octaves as she spoke, "Celestia said he's still away on the mission they sent him on. Apparently, it's going to be awhile before he gets back."

"Great," Rainbow Dash sarcastically added.

* * *

Twilight blew out the last candle, taking a moment to watch its trailing smoke drift upwards. Even before its faint wisps faded away, Twilight's eyes had already adjusted to the darkness within the library, and she turned to look across semi-open floor. Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Spike still slept soundly, along with the addition of Rainbow Dash joining the mess of blankets and pillows. Twilight couldn't help but smile at the sight of them, even though some were less dignified than the others in their sleep.

But even with the comforting presence of her friends, the fact that she could see them so clearly in the dark, even more so than when the room was lit with lights or candles, made her uneasy. What was worse than her ability to see more clearly, was the natural preference and comfort she found being in the darkness. It was a comfort she had tried to deny herself as much as possible.

With a sigh, Twilight moved to the stairs and began her ascent. Though her ears could still catch the faint noise of her steps, they were far quieter than they used to be. Had it not been for everyone else sleeping, she would have forced herself to be noisy for the sake of normalcy, much like she had been doing these past few days.

After reaching the top of the stairs, she made her way down the short hallway that led to her room, and stopped at the spare guest room. Poking her head in, she saw Fluttershy and Rarity's sleeping forms beneath the blanket. It rose up and down slowly from their breaths that were just audible enough for Twilight to make out. They were calm, steady, and relaxing. The fact that she could even hear them was unnerving to Twilight, but she couldn't help but admit being able to do so brought a strange comfort to her.

But even as she watched from the doorway, Rarity's breathing became quieter and quieter, and a faint discontented whine escaped her lips. Twilight's ears fell at the extraordinary sense that even plagued Rarity in her sleep, and she quickly left lest she awaken her.

After reaching her room and closing the door shut behind her, Twilight despondently climbed the remaining steps to her bed and flung herself upon it. Sighing heavily, she buried her face into her pillow, and let the sounds of the library and the nearby street fill her ears.

A pony trotting down the main cobblestone road, a cough from one of the guards keeping vigil at the door, a sudden snort in Pinkie Pie's sleep, and her own beating heart. The more she lay still, the more she could hear, and she had to shake her head to break her mind's fixation on such things. It was simply to easy for her slip into that state if she let her mind wander. Lifting her head enough so that she could stare at the headboard of her bed, Twilight groaned.

 _What am I going to do?_

The question had appeared in her mind more and more lately, an insistent urge somewhere inside her to figure out the next plan of action, or at least find a direction to move in.

 _I can't act like this forever… But… I don't want to stop yet either…_ The rustling of the library's branches from a gust of wind caused Twilight to turn her head and look out her window. _I've made it back to Ponyville, and everypony's safe. But…_ Twilight's eyes shifted from the thatched roofs of Ponyville and towards the night-shrouded horizon, and she furrowed her brow. _He's still out there, somewhere._

Twilight's glare to the landscape became more furious by the second as her muscles tensed, pressing her chin into the pillow as much as she could while gripping the sheets with her hooves. _He took me away from everything… He warped and used me for his own messed up agenda…_ A tear fell down Twilight's cheek, and she dug her mouth into the pillow even further lest her fangs show. _Why did I ever trust him? Why couldn't I see through his disguise? Why… Why couldn't I fight back!?_

Twilight sniffled as she stared angrily through the window, unable to even see the edge of town due to her now wet and blurry vision. Yet, after a minute of brooding, her mood had hardly lessened, and she growled while suddenly sitting up and throwing the pillow across the room with all her might. It hit the wall with a soft thud, then tumbled to the floor. Twilight stared furiously at it until her eyes drifted to a nearby object that caught her attention. It was a full body mirror, and in it, was a scowling vampony with gleaming red eyes and dangerous fangs.

Twilight gasped at the image, and the reflection turned into one of shock and disbelief. Then, with a sniffle, Twilight looked away from it and reached for another pillow to chuck and break the mirror with, but paused at the remembrance of her friends sleeping soundly.

With one last glare at the vampony in the mirror, she wiped her eyes and laid back in bed, gripping the unthrown pillow tightly while burying her chin into it. For some time, Twilight glared at her headboard again, waiting for the dark mood to pass in its own time.

Then, during the tense silence that filled the room, a small sensation caught Twilight's focus, and she blinked in surprise at the tingle in her chest. In recognition of its source, her frown quickly reappeared, but instead of pushing the sensation away, she focused on it, and she stilled herself as she felt and listened inward.

Nothing came to her at first, only her own feelings and background thoughts. Minutes passed, and she thought perhaps her search was in vain, hoping that [i]she[/i] no longer existed, or perhaps had sunk so low that Twilight could never reach her again. But a faint flicker caught her attention, and slowly but surely, she found who she was looking for.

It was a small connection, one that Twilight could hardly discern, but the familiar yet alien sensation of another pony's feelings began to fill her, and she waited patiently for herself to be sensed in turn.

It only took a moment once the weak connection took hold for Ruby to notice her, and tense silence passed between the two.

 _..._

 _~...~_

 _H… Hi..._

 _~Hey...~_

Another silence passed between them, but even though nothing was said, their apprehension towards each other was clearly felt.

 _~You… You here to get rid of me?~_ Ruby asked bravely, making sure to show her courage clearly, though her fear was not as easily masked.

 _No. At least, not yet,_ Twilight admitted, making sure her distasteful feelings were known just as well

 _~What do you want?~_ Ruby asked, pulling her consciousness away just enough to keep herself more guarded in what she shared.

 _Nothing right now…_

 _~Then why are you even talking to me?~_

 _Because I don't know what else to do,_ Twilight grumbled. Ruby, however, gave a snort in reply.

 _~Sorry life is so rough for you,~_ she replied sarcastically.

 _Ugh, why did I even try to talk to you?_

 _~You tell me!~_

Twilight grimaced as she began to pull away from Ruby who began to do the same. But before Twilight cut the connection, she stopped, then tentatively reached back. Ruby took notice of the lingering touch, and paused as well. She sent Twilight a clear sign of her irritation at the delay, something that only deepened Twilight's scowl.

 _I just… ugh!_

Unable to speak the words, Twilight opened her feelings towards Ruby for a moment, a brief glimpse that had once been the normal connection between the two when they shared everything so vividly. Ruby saw what Twilight tried to convey, but did not respond by opening up in turn. Her mood, though, had noticeably changed, her hostility lessening somewhat.

 _~You miss talking to me? So what?~_ Ruby replied, though her voice faltered at the end.

Twilight gritted her teeth as she squeezed the pillow tighter. _You know, I thought I could figure something out with you, but forget it. You never listened to me, even when it meant other ponies lives were at stake. Why are you always so difficult?_

 _~I wonder,~_ Ruby said bitterly. _~Maybe because I'm stuck inside you where I can't do anything. Maybe it's because I'm just a fake personality that should have never existed!~_

 _You don't have to-_

 _~Maybe it's because everything I knew was a complete lie!~_ she shouted. Ruby brought her consciousness closer, and even began to force herself onto Twilight with ire. _~Everything I knew was a complete lie! You think Night Walker tricked you? You think he used you? **I was the one that got used!** ~_

Twilight's ears fell down as she inadvertently revealed her fangs. _Ruby, if you think that you-_

 _~SHUT UP!~_ Ruby screamed. _~You don't get to talk! I've been waiting and waiting for this chance, thinking that maybe you'll check in on me or something, but no! All you care about is getting rid of me!~_ Ruby's fury washed over Twilight, causing her pulse to rise and her body to quiver. But with the anger, a deep ache of pain became a pit in Twilight's stomach, and she found it difficult to think beneath the onslaught.

 _~You think you trusted Night Walker? My entire life revolved around him! I trusted him more than anything, and all he did was throw me away! But that doesn't matter to you at all, does it? Now that you're back with your friends, you don't care about anything! You don't care about what happens to me or my bat ponies! You don't care that I wasn't ever real to begin with! You don't care that I was happy, or how much I loved them!~_

Slowly, Ruby's outburst began to lessen, and she pulled herself back. But to Twilight's surprise, she did not depart, and instead forced the connection between them to become stronger, resulting in the appearance of the mirror mindscape once again. Caught off guard at the familiar but strange sensation of turning her head in the mental scenery, Twilight saw the mirror that was the symbol of their once close connection still shattered into pieces. In those shards she could see Ruby's face, an exact copy of hers, with the exception of tear stained eyes, puffed cheeks, and a furious glare.

 _~All you want to do…~_ Ruby said between heavy breaths, worn out from her outburst and summoning the mirrorscape. _~Is to get rid of me like I had almost done to you.~_ Twilight flinched at the statement. _~You may have had a life before all this began, and I should have never existed, but...~_ Ruby swallowed a lump in her throat as she stood herself as upright as she could muster within the reflective shards. _~But I'm here now, and as long as I am, I will never let you hurt the bat ponies.~_

 _You think I want to hurt them?_ Twilight replied in irritation, though with heavy breaths as well from the rush of emotions.

 _~Not intentionally,~_ Ruby replied. _~But I'm not stupid! Whenever you get done pulling yourself together, you're going after Night Walker. And while I'd give anything to kill him and keep him away from the bat ponies, I would never trust them with you.~_ Ruby leaned her fractured body closer until her nose was pressed against the multiple glass pieces, and she glared intently at Twilight. _~Don't you think for a minute, Twilight Sparkle, that I'll let you hurt them. Not as long as I'm still here. Not as long as I'm still Ruby Sparkle.~_


	42. Chapter 42

The sound of magic tinkled softly within the living room as a needle and thread floated through the air. Though the thread was less elegant and the tools less numerous than normal, Rarity's focus remained, which she exercised as she carefully magically wove the needle in and out of the wide brim hat she worked on.

Then, for the fifth time that day, she stuck it through a few millimeters further than she had intended, and she frowned at the mistake.

"By Celestia, I can't be _this_ out of practice…" Rarity whispered to herself. Leaning closer, she continued her threading with more caution, pausing now and then to ensure the needle was in the correct place before pushing it through.

On the other side of the room, Pinkie Pie sat in front of an assortment of colored paper, markers, ribbons, and other various party supplies all while happily humming to herself. With swift and precise motions, she folded and cut paper, drew fanciful and decorative lines, and glued shiny beads on top of her creations; they were preparations for the party that Twilight had promised she would attend after things had calmed down.

Rarity let out a 'tsk' at yet again missing the spot she had intended, and exhaled sharply as she readjusted herself in her seat. Leaning absurdly close to the hat, she aligned the needle for placement, slowly pushed it closer, and then abruptly jerked to the left when a sudden noise of tearing followed by a thump sounded behind her.

Startled, Rarity swung her head around with pricked ears and wide eyes. Her alarm, however, was relieved by the sight of Pinkie Pie laying on her back, the remains of a tangled ribbon held in her hooves.

"Sorry," Pinkie Pie said while upside down and with a guilty smile.

A held breath escaped Rarity, and she closed her eyes as she recomposed herself. Though, when she opened them, she only then became aware of the extra magic her horn was performing. She looked in surprise to the four floating needles accompanying the first, all of them pointing towards Pinkie Pie. With a gasp, she dropped all five of them, and stared as if they were something awful and alien.

Pinkie Pie tilted her head as she watched the upside down Rarity bring a hoof to her chest, wondering why she looked at the needles in such a way.

"They don't bite," Pinkie Pie casually stated.

Rarity gave her a brief glance, then sighed as she went to pick them up. "I'm sorry for pointing them at you, Pinkie."

"That's okay!" Pinkie Pie said as she rolled herself right side up. "Ponies have point lots of things at me!"

Rarity opened her mouth, but shook her head instead, deciding it was best not to ask such questions. "Still, I shouldn't have done that." With hesitation, Rarity magically lifted them one at a time back onto the table, looking over them with a mix of regret and curiosity. "This… _thing_ that has come over me has been nothing but unpleasant. I can't imagine why anypony would want something like this in the first place…"

Pinkie Pie's ears folded back as she watched Rarity become lost in thought while staring idly at her tools. Rubbing a leg against another, Pinkie Pie cautiously asked, "I guess I should tone it down on the surprise parties for you then?"

Rarity turned to Pinkie Pie with a solemn expression, but forced herself to smile. "That might be best. I'm sure you can think of something that would be more appropriate."

Pinkie Pie gave her a small smile. "No surprise parties for you because things might get pokey, and no surprise parties for Twilight because I can't sneak up on her. I guess I'll just have to think of another way to surprise you at a no-surprise party."

Rarity gave a small chuckle and began to turn back to the table. As she did, though, she caught sight of Twilight already halfway down the steps, and had to make a conscious effort not to flare her horn at Twilight's sudden appearance.

"Good afternoon, Twilight", Rarity said cheerfully.

"Afternoon…" Twilight dully said as she finished her descent.

Pinkie Pie bounced her way over and wrapped her hooves around her in a hug. The welcomed touch brightened Twilight's mood somewhat, and she couldn't help but crack a smile as she returned the cotton candy-smelling embrace.

"I made cupcakes!" Pinkie Pie said as she pulled away. "And I promise they aren't the kind that needs a bandaid afterwards."

"A cupcake and an apple sound nice," Twilight said.

"Coming right up!"

As Pinkie Pie made her way into the kitchen, Twilight moved towards Rarity, yawning wide as she looked over the half finished yellow sunhat with a purple ribbon, unaware of Rarity purposefully looking away from her briefly exposed fangs. "That looks nice," she commented.

"Not as nice as I had been hoping," Rarity replied, looking over her work space with mild irritation. "I haven't even gotten to the feathers or gems for it. It's been a bit more difficult than I thought getting back into the swing of things..."

"Mmmm," Twilight responded in a mixture of empathy and sleepiness. Looking about, Twilight asked, "Where's everypony else?"

"Applejack is picking up some groceries with Fluttershy," Rarity said as she tidied up the table somewhat. "Spike is grabbing more quills and parchments, and Rainbow Dash said she would be back after making sure the guards Princess Celestia posted are 'up to snuff' as she said."

Twilight's ears lowered. "I was hoping I'd actually wake up on time to go with Applejack and Fluttershy."

"Next time, dear," Rarity said as she cleared enough space on the table for the three of them to eat. "You've been out and about nearly every single day, and in that old mare's ensemble no less," she added with distaste. "You need to make sure you aren't pushing yourself. Even more so now with the sunlight and all."

"I know, it's just… I don't want to stay cooped up inside," Twilight replied as she lowered her head. "Especially when everypony has been so wonderful to me."

"Hmm, I have noticed that," Rarity said with a sly tone. Sitting herself in a chair, she magically pulled one out for Twilight. "You've become less hesitant on receiving Princess attention lately."

"What else can I do?" Twilight replied as she sat herself next to Rarity. "Everypony had been so worried about me, and I can't really show how much that meant to me if I only come out at night. I just want them to know that I can be there for them." Twilight lifted her head and stared off at nothing in particular. "I want them to know that they can depend on me…"

"Is something the matter?" Rarity asked in concern. Twilight's lack of response and shifting eyes made Rarity rest a hoof against her. "Twilight, is something wrong?"

"Besides the usual?" Twilight mumbled. Though, when she glanced back at Rarity, the expression she received made her nibble her lip in apprehension.

"Twilight, what's bothering you?"

Sighing to herself, Twilight sat upright, but left her gaze lingering on the table. "It's Ruby…"

Rarity's muscles tensed at the name, and she had to take a moment to keep her voice even. "What about her?"

"Last night... I spoke to her, and it didn't go as I had thought it would," Twilight mumbled.

Rarity was quiet as she waited for Twilight to continue, not entirely sure how much she wanted to hear about the matter.

"I don't know why I even tried," Twilight began after some moments. "She's just…" Twilight's sullen demeanor slowly changed as she searched for the words, her brow furrowing slightly as she remembered the conversation. "She's was just as difficult as she's always been. She never wants to listen or talk things through. She gets angry so easily, and completely ignores anything that I have to say."

Rarity opened her mouth to speak, but Twilight continued on, unaware that her ears had fallen back or that she was revealing her fangs more and more, a physical detail that Rarity tried hard to ignore.

"Sure, she's had it rough," Twilight grumbled. "But it's not my fault she was created. If she had listened to me from the beginning, then none of this would have happened! It's not like she was a pony before all this began, with a life and friends before they were ripped from my memories!"

"Twilight…" Rarity cooed, placing her hoof on top of Twilight's.

"Is it so awful of me that I'm more upset with what happened to me than her?" Twilight asked in a pleading voice, and with a small tear falling down her cheek.

"Of course not," Rarity assured. She tightened her grip around Twilight's hoof and scooted her chair closer.

"I mean, it's not like she was forced to do things without her control!" Twilight continued, her voice becoming louder and more uneven. "She made all those decisions by herself! She's the one who killed ponies! She's the one who drank their blood and enjoyed it! She's the one that almost did something awful to you and the others! She-!"

Rarity's sudden embrace cut Twilight off mid-sentence, and within moments she began to shake within the gentle but firm hold. Immediately after, Pinkie Pie's arms were around her as well, having walked in on the scene halfway. Twilight shamelessly buried her face into their arms, grasping onto them as if they were her lifeline. Their constant presence since her return had nearly removed all her fears of being around them, and she now sought their comfort without hesitation, unwilling to face everything alone as she so desperately tried to before.

"All… All she cares about are those bat ponies!" Twilight said between shuddered breaths. "She doesn't care about anything else! She doesn't care about the lives she's taken, or what I'm going through!" Rarity held Twilight tighter, and Pinkie Pie buried her face into Twilight's shoulder, her tears also trailing down her coat. "I know she's went through something awful," Twilight said as her shaking slowly lessened. "I know she did… But that doesn't mean what happened to me didn't matter! It doesn't mean that I have to _live_ like this. I never asked for any of this! I didn't ask to have her life!"

Twilight held onto Pinkie Pie and Rarity firmly, forcing her thoughts to focus on them and everypony in her life instead of the ones from Ruby. Even now in her emotional plight, the sensations from last night of Ruby's attachments to the ponies far beyond Ponyville was alarming to Twilight, and she forced the memories aside for the sensation of her friends who were here and now. Friends that were a part of her life, and hers alone.

Then, the library door opened, its creaking noise bringing her back to reality. Twilight forcibly calmed herself down, pulling away from Pinkie Pie and Rarity as she wiped her eyes. "It's okay… I'm okay…"

Rarity remained close as Twilight recomposed herself, half focused on her own similar troubles that had found their way into her life, while Pinkie Pie wiped her eyes with her mane, not entirely sure what to do next in the situation. Luckily for the three of them, the front door allowed a brief reprieve from their troubles, and they stared curiously as it remained half open.

Twilight perked her ears at the sound of the urgent and whispered voices that came behind it, and she became even more curious when Applejack peeked her head in from outside.

"Uh, Twalight?" Applejack hesitantly said. "There's somepony here to see ya."

"Who is it?" Twilight asked in genuine interest.

"Well… It's a bit hard to say… " Applejack replied as she pulled the door close to her body, blocking off the space between the door and the frame. "Ah'm not to sure if this is something you need to be dealing with right now, but ah don't think doing what the guards are saying here is right either."

"What do you mean? What's going on?" Twilight asked as she stepped down from her chair.

"Well, you see…," Applejack began before her body abruptly shifted forward.

"Let me in!" a young voice cried, causing Twilight to pause.

"Calm down now," Applejack said with annoyance as she looked over her shoulder. "Ah told you ah would figure something out, but you need to-"

"I said… let me in!" the voice shouted once more.

The rustling of the guards posted outside joined the clamour, but the yelp of Applejack followed by her jumping away cleared the doorway, and it was instantly thrown wide open by a small pony that dashed inside.

Twilight's breath caught in her throat at the sight of the filly running straight towards her, her leathery wings flapping with excitement as she fled the pursuing guards.

"Ruby!" she cried in both excitement and relief.

"L-Lunar Pearl!?" Twilight said in disbelief.

 _~Lunar Pearl!?~_

Lunar Pearl's face noticeably brightened at hearing her name called, and she leapt the short distance remaining between her and Twilight. "Ruby!" she shouted again as her arms clasped around Twilight's neck, and she clung to her with all her might. "I found you!"

Twilight fell onto her rump from the force of the tackle, and she sat motionless, jaw agape, as Lunar Pearl nuzzled herself against her. The two guards paused a short distance away as they glared in frustration, Applejack held an uncertain look as she rubbed her hind leg's new bitemark, and Fluttershy quietly made her way in with a worried but curious look. Rarity stood by with a surprised expression, not entirely sure on what to make of what happened, and Pinkie Pie simply grinned.

"I knew I could find you!" Lunar Pearl excitedly shouted. Giving Twilight one last squeeze, she pulled her head back far enough so she could look Twilight in the eyes. "I knew Night Walker was wrong! There's no way you would have left us!"

Still stunned, Twilight half mumbled, "Wha…?"

"Now you can come back with me and help us!" Lunar Pearl exclaimed.

Twilight stared with wide eyes at Lunar Pearl, still trying to comprehend that she was actually here. A multitude of emotions flared deep within her, and because of them, Twilight unconsciously began lifting her hoof to place against Lunar Pearl's cheek.

 _~Don't touch her!~_

Twilight's hoof stopped inches away, and it began to shake in protest.

"Ruby?" Lunar Pearl asked as she began to look more closely at Twilight.

 _~Lunar Pearl, run! Don't trust them!~_

Panic began to sweep through Twilight, both hers and Ruby's, and she soon found parts of her body beginning to spasm. Lunar Pearl quickly detached herself, and briefly glanced at the ponies around them before looking to Twilight with a hopeful but confused look. "Ruby? What's wrong? Why aren't we leaving? Weren't you a prisoner here?"

"I… You…" Twilight said as she shakily stood herself up. "Why are you… how?" Reaching her hoof towards Lunar Pearl again, she found her muscles fighting against her.

 _~Don't you dare touch her!~_ Ruby screamed, channeling all her will and might into the foreleg.

"Ruby?" Lunar Pearl asked while lowering her ears. Her excited eyes soon became fearful, and she unconsciously wrapped her wings around herself. "What's wrong? Why aren't we running?"

Another spasm passed over Twilight from Ruby's attempts, and she felt as if she was being torn apart at the seams. Gritting her teeth, Twilight gave one last long glance at Lunar Pearl, then spun and around and made her way to the stairs.

"Ruby!" Lunar Pearl cried as she stood up to follow.

"Leave me alone!" Twilight shouted without looking back. "Just… leave me alone!" Without another word, Twilight ran upstairs for the safety of her room, slamming the door shut behind her.

With her breathing coming close to hyperventilation, Twilight began to pace anxiously back and forth, her body unable to stand still due to the flurry of emotions from both her and Ruby.

 _~What is she doing here?!~_

 _I don't know!_

 _~Did you do this? Did you send somepony after her?!~_

 _Of course not! You would know!_

 _~Then why is she here?~_

"I don't know!" Twilight shouted as she brought her hooves to her head. _She can't be here! She shouldn't be here!_

 _~Of course she shouldn't!~_

 _What do I do? What do I do?_

 _~How should I know?~_

 _I'm not asking you! Stay out of my head~_

 _~I can't when Lunar Pearl is sitting your living room!~_

 _Just shut up for a moment! I can't think with you like this! Your emotions are everywhere!_

Twilight felt a surge of resentment rise from Ruby, but it soon died down as Ruby pulled her consciousness back, far enough that the two of them could think on their own without the other hearing without concentrated effort.

Twilight gave a small sigh at the welcomed silence, but her chest remained knotted at the inner conflict, and anxiety still shook her limbs. As she wracked her mind for options, Ruby came closer to speak, though at enough distance that kept them well enough separate.

 _~She needs to leave,~_ she said in a serious tone.

 _That wasn't already obvious?_

 _~I mean without anypony else. Nopony should follow her.~_

Twilight scoffed. _You expect her to go off on her own?_

 _~She made it here on her own, she can make it back.~_

 _She's just a filly!_

 _~She can manage! She's a batpony and a va...~_

 _What? A vampony?_ Twilight bitterly replied. Ruby didn't respond. _You still want her to be a vampony? You want her to be like Night Walker?_

 _~Don't you dare bring him up!~_ Ruby shouted. From the surge of feelings that came from her, if they had been speaking through the mirrorscape Twilight would have seen the tears streaming down Ruby's face. _~She'll never be like him!~_

 _If he turned her, she already may be,_ Twilight replied, her tone low and firm. The weight of that thought hung heavily on Twilight, and the change in mood drew Ruby's attention closer. _If she's a vampony, then we need to do something about it._ Steadying herself, Twilight turned for the door.

 _~What are you doing?~_

 _Checking if she's a vampony._

 _~Why? What are you going to do to her!?~_

 _I'm not a monster, Ruby. Unlike you I don't take lives,_ Twilight replied. _I'll contact Celestia and have her taken away. Back to Dusktown or wherever they'll put her._

 _~Wait!~_ Twilight's hoof paused as she grasped the door handle, though not of her own accord.

Flaring her horn to open the door, Twilight curled her lip. _It's for her own good! She'll be safe~_

 _~Please, Twilight! Don't do this!~_

 _Why shouldn't I? You think she'll be safer with Night Walker?_

 _~Of course not! But I-~_

 _But nothing!_ Twilight stopped her magic and pulled her hoof away from the door. _I can't believe even after everything that's happened, after all his lying, you still think we're the enemy! You still think I'm an enemy!_ Whipping around, Twilight marched towards the full body mirror on the other side of the room, and stared directly into her crimson eyes.

 _You still believe that Night Walker is right! That turning them into vamponies is right!_

 _~That isn't what I'm-~_

 _You don't care what's right at all!_ Twilight berated as she stomped her hoof on the floor. _All you want to do is help them! And while that isn't a bad thing on its own, you'll do anything for it! You'll kill for it! I can't let that happen!_

 _~Please, Twilight! You saw what happened to Mist Hoof and Shade Flare, you know that they can be cured! You even told Celestia that yourself!~_

The memory of Mist Hoof dying on the table came flashing back through her mind, the worried looks of everypony else gathered beside him as they looked to her for help.

Twilight shut her eyes as she shook her head side to side, unable to stop a tear from falling at the resurgence of the feelings. _We don't know if it fixed them or not! We can't trust it!_

 _~Why wont you help them!?~_

 _I'm not against helping them!_ Twilight stumbled away from the mirror, the inner turmoil beginning to take its physical toll. _If they want to be helped then they should have stayed where they belong!_

 _~You think they belong being cooped up? You honestly think they are dangerous?~_

 _They were willing to join Night Walker!_

 _~They were willing to try to save themselves! They were dying!~_

 _So it's okay that other dies instead?_ Before Ruby could reply, Twilight opened her wings for balance support and once again made her way to the door, though as unsteadily as before. _I'm done arguing with you. I'm contacting Celestia so we can keep her safe._

 _~No!~_

As Twilight reached for the door, something deep inside her tore, and Twilight's body jerked to the right. Gasping in surprise, Twilight instinctively brought a hoof to her chest. Feeling as if her world was beginning to spin, Twilight blinked in confusion until the familiar and unnatural pain caused her to realise what had happened. _Ruby! What are you-_

 _~I won't let you!~_ she cried. _~I won't let you take her!~_

Gritting her teeth, Twilight reached for the door again, only to have another sudden tear cause her wings to collapse and her back legs to buckle. _Ruby! Stop it! It hurts!_

 _~Don't worry, I'm not going to kill us like you almost did in the field,~_ she said through a strained voice, sharing in the pain as well. _~You aren't getting anywhere close to her! I won't let you!~_

With her vision becoming blurry due to the multitude of effects taking their toll on her, Twilight fell onto her side, weakly reaching her limbs out for something to grab on to. As she did, a whimper escaped her, and the tears began anew. _Why..._ she faintly sadness in her voice made Ruby pause her destruction for a moment. _Why…_ With a sob, Twilight buried her face into the wood, unable to even find the strength or will to curl into a ball. _Why won't you ever trust me!_

 _~Because I can't trust anyone!~_ Ruby screamed, but not without her own sobs to accompany it. _~I can't trust the princesses, I can't trust Night Walker, and I can't trust you!~_ With her own crying echoing in Twilight's mind, Ruby fell deeper into their being, barely keeping contact with Twilight. _~I can only trust them! Only them… So please, don't hurt her! Please…~_

As Twilight laid on the floor crying, so to did Ruby within, the pain of the soul tearing being the smallest reason for their distress.

 _~Please, don't hurt her… They're all I have… All I've ever had...~_

 _I was there…_ Twilight so quietly replied. Ruby's consciousness ever so slightly shifted closer, uncertain if she had even heard Twilight speak at all. _I was always there… I was there in the beginning, and you never let me in. You never listened to me…_

 _~...~_

 _You're a part of me, Ruby. We were the same pony... but... all you did… all you ever did was try to get rid of me! Do you know what that's like? Do you know what it's like being trapped inside your own body after having almost been destroyed? To scrape and hold onto Celestia knows what as your world falls apart around you!_

 _~Twilight, I-~_

 _Do you know what it feels like now!?_ Twilight yelled. _Can you remember when I lost everything!? When everypony around faded away into nothingness!?_ Faded memories of the necklace flashed between them of Ponyville, the approaching black wall that swallowed place and friend whole, and the faceless ponies that called Twilight's name, a name that she at the time couldn't even remember was hers. _Did you know that's what it felt like every time you pushed me away!?_

Twilight pressed her face harder into the floor, holding onto that physical sensation as if she would never feel anything again. _I was always there! And you almost killed me! If I hadn't fought like I did, I wouldn't be here at all! I would have been forgotten about, lost forever! I would be gone!_

Moments passed, and neither of them spoke a word. It had all become too much to bear for Twilight to continue on, and she simply laid where she was and sobbed. At any moment she knew Ruby would snap something back at her and descend back into the depth of her being. At any moment she expected Ruby to say something awful that would justify everything she had done, to yell and deepen her grief like she always did. But instead, she did something Twilight did not expect.

 _~..I'm sorry...~_

Twilight's ears pricked ever so slightly at the internal thought, and her sobbing paused so that she could hear more clearly.

 _~'m so sorry...~_

Opening her eyes, Twilight absentmindedly stared at the sideways wall while she focused on Ruby's voice, her watery vision blurring the details of the room.

 _~I'm sorry… I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I shouldn't have done that to you! I should have listened to you! If I had, maybe then… Maybe then things wouldn't be like this! I shouldn't have tried to kill you! I just… I didn't know what to do! I just wanted them to be okay! I wanted to do what was best for them! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!_

Ruby's voice trailed off as she broke down, letting loose all that she had inside and that she had tried to keep away from Twilight. Remorse, grief, pain, everything. It washed over Twilight, matching all too well with her own feelings. And for the first time, Twilight didn't push them back.

The two of them cried even more fervently as their beings mixed and intertwined in a way they hadn't done for so long, sharing each others anguish to the point that their most closely matched feelings were nearly the one and the same. The cried together long and hard while laying on the floor, crumbling the makeshift walls they had imposed that had kept each other so distant. And by will or chance, as they shared their distress, a bridge of glowing fiber slowly formed between them. Though it was not the same as it once was, it nevertheless bridged a piece of them that had been separated since their role reversal, and with it, a shard within the mirrorscape found its way back into its previous place.

* * *

Twilight stood at the top of the dark stairs, hesitant on whether to walk down them or not. The sun had already set, and the soft glow of candlelight reflected the shadows of the ponies in her living room. Without having to even try, she could hear their conversation, and the uneasy but otherwise calm voice of Lunar Pearl. Fluttershy was talking to her about the animals she took care of. She could hear Lunar Pearl munching on a fruit of some kind as she asked another question after each time Fluttershy spoke.

Twilight took a deep breath, and exhaled as she steadied herself.

 _Ready?_

 _~Yes...~_

Nodding, Twilight carefully made her way down the steps, watching with wide eyes as the living room came into view. The first thing she noted was the single guard stoically standing inside the library by the door, his eyes focused on the group across the room. Following his gaze, Twilight spotted Lunar Pearl, Spike, and the rest of her friends sitting in a circle atop several pillows on the floor, with their attention centered on Lunar Pearl. The sight of them caused Twilight's mouth to open slightly, her mind drifting as parts of hers and Ruby's worlds were merged in one scene. It made both of them pause once Twilight reached the stairs, and they simply stared at the group for a moment.

By lack of quietness or by chance, Lunar Pearl's ears twitched, and she slowly turned her head towards Twilight. Her golden eyes widened at the sight of her, and she dropped the pear she had half eaten. "Ruby!"

A smile appeared on Lunar Pearl's face as she stood up and ran to her. But she stopped halfway, and a look of uncertainty crossed her face. She stared long and hard at Twilight, so much that a tinge of red appeared on Twilight's face in embarrassment.

"You're not Ruby, are you?" Lunar Pearl said at long last.

Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but it was difficult to find the right words. Instead, all she could come up with was, "No… I'm not."

Lunar Pearl's face became sullen at that, but her eyes hardened as she spoke with more determination. "Is it true what they said?" she asked, referring to everyone else with a small head shift. "Is Ruby inside you?"

"Yes, that's true," Twilight said sadly.

"Can she come out?"

"I'm afraid it doesn't work like that…"

A frown appeared on Lunar Pearl, and she stared thoughtfully into the floor. Twilight gave a brief glance to her friends, noting their worried looks on the matter. Even Rarity held some concern for the young filly though it was not as apparent as the rest.

"But… she can hear you," Twilight said as she stepped towards her. Lunar Pearl lifted her head and looked to her hopefully. Twilight smiled upon seeing the curious and eager face once again, now able to enjoy the fact that she could look upon Lunar Pearl instead of watching from the inside. "And she still cares about you. In fact, we both do." Walking up to her, Twilight knelt down until she was head level with Lunar Pearl. "Because of that, we're also worried about you. Can you tell us how you got here?"

Lunar Pearl looked as if she would answer, but instead brought her lips inward and turned away.

"She won't tell us either, Twilight," Rarity said. Twilight looked up to her and saw nods of confirmation from everyone else.

Twilight looked back to Lunar Pearl, and gave her a warm smile. "Pearl, can you please tell us?"

Lunar Pearl slowly looked back at her, searching Twilight's eyes for something. After some moments, she spoke, "Prove that Ruby's in there."

"I'm not sure that I-"

"Prove it," Lunar Pearl said more firmly. The look on her face indicated she wouldn't accept anything less.

 _I don't think I remember her being this stubborn._

 _~She's a tough filly,~_ Ruby replied with an affectionate tone. _~Here, say this.~_

Ruby thought the instructions through, causing Twilight to physically frown and lift her head.

"I can't say that!"

Everyone else looked to Twilight in confusion as she stared at something none of them could see.

"How in Equestria would that help? … Of course I want to… Well, yes but… Still, we shouldn't be encouraging it!"

Lunar Pearl looked to Fluttershy and the rest for help, only to receive the same confused expressions and shrugs in reply.

At last Twilight gave a sigh, and she muttered something under her breath. " _Ruby_ wants me to tell you, and I don't entirely agree with it by the way, that _'It must have taken on heck of a vampony to run away all on her own and make it this far, and I'm proud to call you one trouble maker of a batpony'_."

Lunar Pearl's jaw was agape at the compliment, and her eyes quickly teared up as a smile appeared on her face. "Ruby!" Lunar Pearl leapt from her spot and latched herself once again around Twilight, though not as fiercely as she had done earlier. "I knew you weren't gone! I knew it!"

Twilight was taken aback by the embrace, but the familiar tuft ears tickling her cheek, and the sound of swishing leathery wings brought a strange sense of nostalgia. Checking with Ruby before she acted, and feeling confident that despite some hesitation from the batpony that there was no malice, Twilight slowly wrapped a hoof around Lunar Pearl, and returned the embrace.

The two of them held each other for a minute until Lunar Pearl suddenly pulled away, hiding her face as she quickly wiped it with her hoof. "S-Sorry," she said as she rubbed harder, making sure nopony else could see.

"Hey, it's okay," Twilight said as she leaned her head closer with a smile. "Even vamponies cry." A sniffle escaped Lunar Pearl, but she quickly clamped her jaw tight. "Even Ruby balled her eyes out sometimes."

Lunar Pearl stopped her rubbing, and looked up to Twilight with red eyes, "R-Really?"

 _~You better not...~_ Ruby warned.

Twilight, however, simply smiled at the comment, having the ability to easily know when Ruby actually meant her threats. "You better believe it. She may not show it, but she's got a soft side to her too. Well, actually that was more of me than her, but you get the idea."

Lunar Pearl giggled at the statement, and wiped her eyes again but much less forcefully this time.

"Now," Twilight said as she stood herself up. "Can you tell me what happened, Lunar Pearl?"

Lunar Pearl blew her nose, gave each of them a brief glance, then took a few breaths. "Yeah…"

Twilight walked to her side and, with a slight hesitation, wrapped her wing around Lunar Pearl and guided her back to the group. Everyone shuffled a bit for the extra seat, allowing Twilight to be right next to Lunar Pearl. They were all quiet as they waited for her to speak, while several looked to Twilight with questioning glances that silently promised they would hear from her later on about what happened with Ruby.

"After… After we got away from the tower," Lunar Pearl began, choosing to keep her eyes focused in the middle of the circle. "Lily Wing took me with the rest of the bat ponies to a spot outside the city. They said it was the place we would meet up if something happened."

With Ruby sharing the memory openly, Twilight knew exactly where she was talking about, a small glen in the nearby countryside.

"We waited there until Night Walker came to get us. He said something happened to you and that you weren't going to be with us anymore. He said that you no longer mattered to us…"

Twilight tried her best not to grit her teeth at hearing the recount, with Ruby putting in more effort than her not to lash out.

"Mist Hoof and him got into an argument, but I didn't hear much because Lily Wing moved us away. Only that you fought some pegasi and that you teleported away. The next night, we flew away from the spot, but Mist Hoof and some others stayed behind."

"Do you know who?" Twilight asked, urged on by Ruby's desire to know.

"No, I didn't see them…" Lunar Pearl asked. "But I wanted to stay with them. Mist Hoof said they were going to wait for you to come back. He said that you wouldn't leave us and that you'd come for them. I wanted to stay with them, but Lily Wing wouldn't let me." Lunar Pearl gave a frown. "She said we needed to stick with Night Walker, and that she was sorry you couldn't be with us. But I didn't believe what Night Walker said. I knew you would come back."

Lunar Pearl gave another sniff, then looked up to Twilight with a determined face. "I ran away from Lily Wing so I could find you. After we landed for the night, I snuck away during the day and ran into the nearby woods."

"Where were you? How in Equestria did you find me?" Twilight asked, holding herself back from scolding Lunar Pearl for doing such a thing.

Lunar Pearl's determined face faded away instantly to wariness. "Night Walker told me…"

"He what!?" Twilight shouted.

Lunar Pearl flinched, but kept on. "He caught me as I was running away. I thought he was going to take me back when he asked what I was doing. I told him he was wrong to think you would leave us and that if he wasn't going to get you back, then I would." Lunar Pearl furrowed her brow as she recalled the memory, still confused herself at the turn of events. "But all he did was laugh. He said he liked the fire in my eyes and that I would make a good vampony someday."

Twilight's feathers bristled ever so slightly at the statement, a fact everyone else but Lunar Pearl caught.

"He wished me luck on my adventure and said he wouldn't stop me. Then he pointed his wing in a direction and said, 'Why don't you try Ponyville'. After that, he left, and I've been on my own since..."

"And you just wandered into town?" Twilight asked in disbelief.

Lunar Pearl's eyes lit up instantly, and she spoke to Ruby with excitement. "No! When I came here, I found a tree fort to hide in during the day. I thought it would be safe until I could figure out where you were, you know, scouting and all that. But then I meet three fillies!"

"And that's how ah found her," Applejack interjected with a deadpanned voice. "She was hanging out with mah little sister and her friends. Apparently, that's why she's been staying up so late these past few nights."

"You've been in Ponyville for days?" Twilight asked Lunar Pearl with concern.

"Only two, I think," Lunar Pearl replied. "It kinda of blurred together being awake during the day." Lunar Pearl turned to Applejack, and gave a her a small smile. "For not being bat ponies, Applebloom is pretty batty."

"Thanks, ah think…" Applejack replied.

Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie both began to giggle uncontrollably, refusing to be silenced even as Applejack glared at them.

"Lunar Pearl," Twilight said, waiting until she had the filly's full attention back from her friends' antics. "Is there anything you can tell me? Anything else at all? Maybe where Night Walker is and what he's doing?"

"I don't know where he is, but I know what he's going to do…" Lunar Pearl said, though her low voice and flattened ears spoke of the severity of the matter.

"Please, tell me," Twilight asked, lowering her head to Lunar Pearl's level.

Lunar Pearl fidgeted somewhat as she spoke, "Night Walker said something about making everyone vamponies now that he found a way to do it. And once he did, they were going back for everyone else in Dusktown…"

A pit formed in Twilight's stomach, and she mumbled the words, "Oh no…"

The gravity of the statement brought a look of deep concern for everyone else as well, and though a mixture of emotions played across their features, Rainbow Dash's ferocious glare made even Fluttershy inch away. "When I get my hooves on him... " Rainbow Dash growled.

"This is serious, Twilight," Rarity said. "We need to notify the princesses right away."

"Agreed," Twilight said as she stood up. "Spike, get me a pen and quill."

"Right!"

"Excuse my interruption, Princess Twilight," the guard suddenly spoke.

Twilight turned to him in surprise, having almost forgotten he was even there. "What is it?"

"Princess Celestia is already aware of the matter."

"She knows?" Twilight said in disbelief. "How did she find out?"

The guard visibly fidgeted in place, and with focus, Twilight heard his heart rate increase. "Please understand that Princess Celestia ordered us not to speak a word for fear of complicating your recovery. She only wishes the best for you and did not want to heighten your stress until you were more recovered."

"What did she order?" Twilight said more forcibly, furrowing her brow.

Feeling the regret of volunteering to watch the young batpony, the guard straightened himself the best he could while clearing his throat. "We received word of the threat along with Princess Celestia's orders to not speak of it until it was deemed you were fit to return to Royal Duties, or until you asked of it from us." Pausing for a moment to prepare himself for the response he feared, he spoke clearly, "Dusktown was attacked two days ago."

 ** _~W~_ HA _~T~_!?"**

The force of the yell accompanied by a buffet of magic rattled the windows of the library, and the two guards standing outside of the door slowly lifted their ears from their flattened positions. They both glanced at the door, imagining the emotional state of the princess having no doubt heard the news. One of them sighed, then turned his attention back to the street. "Rookie…"


	43. Chapter 43

Sliding the carriage door shut, Applejack turned around to face the near vacant train cart, careful not to loosen her grip on the two cups of water she held against her chest. The two guards ponies standing near the door gave her a brief glance before returning their eyes to another pair of guards at the other end of the train carriage. The four of them ensured Applejack and the rest of the girls privacy from other passengers. Twilight sat in the mid section and stared out the window in deep thought, Fluttershy and Rarity were having a quiet conversation a few seats away, Rainbow Dash sat alone while eying the guards skeptically, and Lunar Pearl was with Pinkie Pie, the two of them pushing their faces against the glass while staring out with excited expressions.

Making her way down the aisle, Applejack entered Twilight's booth. "Here ya go."

Twilight broke her pensive gaze out the window for a brief moment to magically grab one of the cups. "Thanks…"

Applejack took the seat across from her, and silently observed as Twilight took an idle sip. Minutes passed as the train chugged along past fields and woods, and Twilight still kept her gaze fixed outward.

"Ya'll right?" Applejack asked.

"I'm nervous," Twilight immediately replied, much to Applejack's surprise. "I don't know what to think or ask when we get to Canterlot. Why didn't Princess Celestia tell me about Dusktown? I mean, I know _why_ she didn't when it was attacked, though that still bothers me. But I want to know why I've never even heard of Dusktown in the first place. Why didn't I know anything about bat ponies? I knew they existed, but I never put much thought into them…"

Applejack gave a relieved smile at seeing that some normalcy was coming back bit by bit to Twilight. Being able to talk about the matters in such a straightforward manner made much of Applejack's apprehension vanish, and she scooted closer to the edge of her seat. "Well, I don't reckon I know either, but ah'm sure we'll find out." Applejack gave her a reassuring smile. "Princess Celestia's got to have a good reason for it."

"That's one of the things I'm worried about," Twilight said after sighing. She turned away from the window and looked to Applejack. "What good reason is there to keep an entire town of ponies isolated from the world?"

Applejack opened her mouth to respond, but found she didn't have anything to say to that.

"If what everything Ruby learned is true," Twilight said in a solemn voice, "then I can't really imagine any good explanation for the way the bat ponies have been treated."

"Now, hold on," Applejack said. "You don't know if Ruby knows the real truth, or that she's even telling the truth."

Twilight gave a sad smile to that. "Trust me, I know when Ruby's telling the truth."

Applejack gave a small frown, but it quickly changed into a look of concern. "Twilight, what happened last night?"

Glancing to the other seats on the train, Twilight spotted Lunar Pearl. Her fatigue from staying up throughout the day was clearly visible, despite her desperate vigilance whenever Pinkie Pie said 'I spy...'.

"We've come to… _amicable_ terms," Twilight replied.

Applejack caught her stare, and exhaled loudly. "So... She's being friendly for now until Lunar Pearl's somewhere safe?"

"More or less."

"Then what?"

"I'm… not sure…"

Twilight stared pensively at the floor, but Applejack kept her gaze firm on her. "Twilight, ah'm worried about ya, and ah don't mean about the obvious." Twilight looked to her as she continued. "Ah know ah only know a little about Ruby, but she isn't you. You may think she can be trusted right now, and normally that's all ah need to trust her too, but ah can't. At least, not yet."

"I understand," Twilight said in a quiet voice.

"It's not that ah don't want to, it's just…" Applejack said, wracking her brain for the right thing to say. "Ah just… Ah don't get the right vibe from her. Ah thought ah was doing the right thing back in Manehattan. Ah thought letting you go to help the bat ponies was right. You have no idea how much ah was worrying that you wouldn't come back."

Applejack set her cup aside as she brought her hooves together. "When you did come back, ah figured that we were reaching you somewhat, but then that fight in the yard happened, and Night Walker on the balcony… it all just makes me wonder if ah couldn't have done more right by ya…if I had went about it another way."

"Applejack, you can't blame yourself for any of that," Twilight said. "You tried your best. You _did_ reach me. If it wasn't for you, Ruby would have…"

Twilight's voice trailed off, and Applejack's nod affirmed that she knew exactly what would have happened.

"That's why ah'm so bothered by her. Twilight, you have no idea how scared ah was when ah cornered you and her in the alleyway. Ah been given plenty of mean looks, but nothing like that… and never by a friend…" Applejack's face became tight as she thought about the memory. "Ah know it's silly being all worked up by something like that, but ah just can't help it. Ah can't shake the feeling ah get from her. And knowing she's still inside you, ah just... " Applejack took a deep breath to calm herself. "Ah want to be as supportive as ah can, but ah'm with Rarity on this one. Ah don't like Ruby being inside of you, and ah think you would be better off without her."

A sad expression passed over Twilight, and her own mixed feelings on the matter were met with bitter emotions from Ruby. Their connection was weak, but it was closer to what it had once been.

 _She's worried about me,_ Twilight explained.

 _~Of course she is. She's your friend,~_ Ruby replied passively. Twilight, however, caught a hint of the pain the remark left on her, and the subtle sense of loneliness accompanying it. Those emotions quickly changed into surprise when Ruby realised how closely Twilight was paying attention to her, and Ruby shifted herself in a way as to not emanate any more feelings idly.

"I know you're all worried about me…" Twilight softly said after a long while. "And I would be lying if I said I wasn't worried myself. I'm scared about what Ruby's capable of and what she has done. But… But I think something can be worked out with her. At least, when it involves the bat ponies."

Applejack stared thoughtfully at Twilight, as if searching her face for something before asking, "Are you still going to try to remove her?"

Twilight took a long time to answer, and her voice was a whisper when she did. "I don't know…"

Applejack signed, and gave a hesitant frown as she asked, "Do you know for sure she isn't something Night Walker put inside you? That she isn't some strange and dark magic possessing you?"

"No, she isn't," Twilight said with a shake of her head. "She's different, but she's a part of me. I hate to say it but…" Twilight visibly gulped as she forced the words, trying very hard not to tear up as she spoke. "I think she's… she's what I would be like if I had grown up like she did… If I had been a vampony from the start. And that scares me..."

Applejack gave Twilight a few moments to recompose herself before speaking. "Ah can't promise ah'll ever trust her, but if you say it's like that between the two of you, then… ah guess ah'll try to be understanding."

Applejack gave Twilight a supportive smile, and Twilight gave a thankful one in return.

 _~...~_

"So, uh… back to this here 'Dusktown'," Applejack said. "What does Ruby know about it?"

Twilight's voice took on a more serious but still concerned tone. "The only things we know is that it is a town for bat ponies, it's under guard, and that the bat ponies have been sick for a long time. Defects and mutations have been increasing over the centuries, and there's still no clue of how to fully cure them."

"Is it bad?" Applejack asked worriedly.

"Stillborns aren't a rare occurrence, and not every pony lives longer than Lunar Pearl…"

Applejack's face paled at that.

"Celestia has been trying to cure them of their vampirism ever since they came to her," Twilight continued. "She was successful to some degree by the looks of things, but she never was able to completely solve it."

"Did she tell you anything after you came back?"

"No, it never came up," Twilight said, recalling the first few days of her return to Ponyville. "You girls talked to her more than I did before she left that night."

"Right," Applejack replied.

"I just don't understand why she never told me about the bat ponies in the first place. If they've been suffering this much, why was I never told?" An inquisitive frown appeared on Twilight's face. "Why doesn't any of Equestria know what's going on?"

"Ah guess we'll find out soon," Applejack said as she looked out the window.

As Twilight joined her gaze, the first tunnel into the mountain appeared just ahead of them as the train began to curve and turn into a steady incline that would twist and wind up the mountain all the way to Canterlot; it's alabaster towers gleamed in the sunlight. The sudden darkness from entering the tunnel made Twilight's squinting eyes relax in relief, and she placed her hoof onto her nearby hat in preparation for their imminent arrival.

* * *

"Princess Celestia and Princess Luna is waiting for you in the throne room, your Highness," one of the guards stated.

Twilight took her hat off and began to idly fan herself with it. "Thank you."

The guard bowed, then returned to the rest of the contingent of guards that had escorted Twilight's group all the way from the train station. Their tight-knit formation around the carriage ensured Twilight had been entirely shielded from the sun, and from the rest of Canterlot. After the front door had shut behind them, and after Twilight left her hat with the waiting attendant, she and the girls began making their way through the castle.

"It's been a while since we've seen Princess Luna," Applejack commented.

"Yes, it has," Rarity replied in a low tone. "I would like to know what she thinks of the matter, considering bat ponies have been her personal escort."

"Rarity!" Applejack exclaimed.

"I'm not saying she has anything to do with it," Rarity replied evenly. "I would just like to learn more about the situation."

"She's right," Twilight said, cutting off Applejack's reply. "Princess Luna's escorts were the first bat ponies I've seen in real life. Out of all the ponies in Equestria, I'll bet Princess Luna was the closest to them." Twilight turned her head to Lunar Pearl. The little bat pony walked a short distance behind her and was still practically attached to Pinkie Pie. "When Luna came back, did she spend time in Dusktown?"

Lunar Pearl broke her gaze from the expansive hall they were walking down and nodded. "A lot of the grownups seemed happy that she showed up."

 _~A lot of good she seemed to have done.~_

Her dark tone made Twilight wince, but it only lasted a moment as she turned her head forward. "I'm sure we'll find our answers..."

Twilight's determination and concern about the matter that had been brooding during the train ride finally grew to a point that it leaked from the makeshift walls she and Ruby had made for inner privacy, and she mentally waited for her to comment on it. But Ruby remained quiet and withdrawn, and Twilight continued walking forward.

"Seems a little empty," Rainbow Dash commented, looking around with a frown.

After having their attention brought to the fact, everyone else began to look around as well. Aside from the butlers who had been waiting at the front door, the castle appeared unusually empty.

Twilight's ears flicked about, and she was barely able to catch the faint whispers that would fade from the hallways up ahead or appear from far behind. She could not make out the exact words, but she had a fair idea as to _who_ they were talking about. "Maybe Celestia didn't want anypony near me…" Twilight said, the drop in her tone ever so subtle.

"If she didn't, she wouldn't have left you in Ponyville," Applejack said.

Twilight looked towards her and saw Applejack giving her a reassuring smile, one that helped lift her spirits. "Yeah, that's true," she replied.

Turning her head forward again, they continued down the expansive and relatively empty castle. They reached the throne room shortly. The doors opened as Twilight approached, revealing Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and to Twilight's surprise, Princess Cadance and Shining Armor standing near the thrones.

"Twilight!" Shining Armor shouted, immediately breaking away from Princess Cadance's supportive hug as he ran towards Twilight.

"Shining!?" Twilight yelped in surprise. Her back leg unconsciously stepped back from him, but she was otherwise rooted to the spot, unable to stop the tears forming in her eyes.

Despite his size and armor, Shining Armor came to a screeching halt just before her and nimbly wrapped his hooves around Twilight to pull her close to him. "You're back! You're back!"

Twilight gave a weak laugh as tears ran down her face, and she felt one of the many weights in her chest fall as she let herself be enveloped by her brother's arms. She returned the gesture, wrapping her hooves around him in kind, careful as to how hard she squeezed.

"I'm so glad you're back," Shining Armor continued to repeat, his voice becoming noticeably shakier each time.

"Y-Yeah, I'm back," Twilight said happily, also finding it hard to speak.

"Twily, I was so worried," Shining Armor whispered as the wave of frantic excitement passed. He relaxed his embrace just a little so he could lean back and place his horn against her's. "You have no idea how much Cadance and I worried about you…"

Twilight sniffed. "I have an idea…"

Not wishing for the moment to end, Twilight buried her face into Shining Armor's chest, much like she had done when she was only a filly. Before there was school, before she was Celestia's protégée, Shining Armor had been her best source of protection and comfort, always living up to his name. And right now, all she wanted to be was his little sister again.

In the back of her mind, there was a mix of anger and happiness towards Celestia for having gone against her wishes in telling her brother and sister-in-law that she was back. Twilight wanted to be the one who broke the news, to explain everything she could before they came near her. Despite knowing she wouldn't simply lash out unless she was extremely hungry, she still couldn't help but feel apprehension and aversion towards others. But they were here, and Shining Armor was holding her closely, and a few moments later, she could hear Cadance coming to her side as well.

"Twilight," Cadance said, the toll of weeks of worrying clear in her voice.

"Cadance," Twilight replied as she turned to her. Shining Armor reluctantly let Twilight go, then began wiping his eyes with his hoof. Twilight and Cadance embraced one another, and Twilight let herself be whisked away in memories of her foal sitter.

"Thank Equestria you're safe," Cadance whispered as she gently stroked Twilight's mane. The soothing action made Twilight sniffle once again, and she tightened her grip.

"It's so good to be back," Twilight replied, trying her hardest to keep her voice normal. She then reached a hoof in Shining Armor's direction. He eagerly accepted it, and Twilight pulled the two of them close to herself. "It's so good to back with you all!"

The three of them were together for some time before Cadance suggested that they give Twilight room to breathe. Twilight was at first reluctant to let go, but Cadance's gentle and guiding touch managed to convince her. Cadance wiped Twilight's eyes with her wings while giving her a look that assured her that the three of them would have their time later. Twilight nodded her head, and recomposed herself. It was then that she saw Celestia and Luna waiting patiently nearby.

"Twilight," Celestia said lovingly. At once Twilight moved to her and gave her her hug.

"My parents better not be here as well," Twilight said quietly enough for only Celestia to hear, her voice wavering.

Celestia smiled as she brought her head down to whisper back. "I will leave that announcement to you. But for now, I thought it best for Cadance and Shining Armor to know. Especially when they are in the need to know on the matter in whole."

Twilight nodded in understanding, though still flustered from it all. When she pulled away from Celestia, she looked to Luna next, and saw that she was fidgeting somewhat. "Princess Luna," Twilight said, not entirely sure what to say or do.

"Twilight," Luna said hesitantly. She looked to be having difficulty looking Twilight in the eyes, but as she did, Twilight saw a world of concern and regret. "I am so sorry this has happened to you. I'm sorry you have been cursed in such a way." Before Twilight could speak, Luna stepped forward and wrapped her hooves around Twilight. "Truly, I am sorry…"

Twilight was stunned at the sudden embrace, but quickly became at ease from Luna's touch. Half-hearted ideas that something would be different between them now that Twilight was a vampony flew from Twilight's mind. Luna's touch, though it seemed to hold no magical effect or preference compared to Celestia's, was still warm, soft, and loving, and was special in its own way.

Twilight returned the embrace, settling her face into Luna's deep blue mane. And after a moment with nothing else said between the two, they pulled apart.

"Let's move to the conference room," Celestia announced. She eyed each of them before settling onto Lunar Pearl who hid herself further behind Pinkie Pie's leg. Celestia's mouth tightened ever so slightly, saddened by the response, and she turned her head back towards the throne room doors. "We'll talk more there as we eat."

* * *

After placing the last plate, the butlers exited the circular room, shutting the doors behind them for privacy. Everyone sat at a thin table that curved with the room, allowing everypony to see each other with little strain. Twilight stared passively at Celestia and Luna at the other end of the table, breaking her gaze from them only to sneak a glance at Shining Armor and Cadance who sat beside her for support. Right away Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie began eating right away, with Lunar Pearl joining them after a few hesitant sniffs, while everypony else sat quietly.

"Where should I even begin…" Celestia asked nopony in particular.

"The beginning," Twilight said.

Celestia inclined her head with solemn look, and she turned to Luna who nodded that she was prepared. "As you're all aware," Celestia said turning her eyes back to everyone, "a long time ago, Luna and I were approached by the remaining vamponies. After losing Night Walker—whose sudden disappearance still remains a mystery—they experienced difficult times, and came to us as their last hope."

"In exchange for not fatally feeding on ponies," Luna said, "they would be provided protection and an attempt at a cure. They would be held away from the populace, having only the necessary amount of blood given, donated by our citizens, and would remain there until we could lift their vampirism."

"How did the Hunters become involved?" Rarity asked.

Luna gave Rarity a long look, which Rarity returned with a firm and unwavering gaze. "After losing their kingdom," Luna eventually said, "they had dedicated themselves to revenge, swearing an oath and binding themselves with magic to pursue and hunt all undead. Vamponies, though not as similar, were still considered one of their 'prey'. Of course, they hunted anything they saw as a danger to Equestria, but their vendetta for the undead was always at their core."

"Are you saying there used to be zombies?" Rainbow Dash asked curiously.

"Do not fool yourself into believing they are like anything portrayed today," Luna replied firmly. "The festive costumes worn during Nightmare Night do not do those awful creatures justice."

"The Hunters became a respected organization as they became more successful," Celestia said. "As more and more threats were culled or vanished on their own, they turned their eye to whatever they could. And when they heard that we had taken in the remaining vamponies, they threatened to march upon us in force." Celestia closed her eyes as she recalled the distant memory, the sight of the dawning sun shining on the backs of so many armed and grim faced ponies that looked upon her and Luna with betrayed eyes. "If it had not been for our relationship and position during those days, I fear they would have attacked us outright."

"But they didn't," Rarity concluded.

"No, they did not," Celestia answered, opening her eyes again. "An agreement was made. The Hunters would not attack the vamponies, and in exchange the Hunters would guard them until they were cured."

"You actually let those creeps near them?" Rainbow Dash said, throwing her wings up in agitation.

Rarity shot Rainbow Dash a silencing glare, but it went unnoticed as Celestia shook her head. "It was all we could do to sway them. If it came to it, Luna and I would have protected the vamponies as promised, but we would not shed blood or sacrifice our own soldiers if it could be avoided."

Rainbow Dash looked dissatisfied, but otherwise quieted down.

"Years passed," Celestia continued, "and all of Equestria was beginning to know a lasting peace. With nothing else to pursue, the Hunters became more active in their sworn duties. In time, they joined our guard, extending their watchful eye to not just the bat ponies but to all of Equestria. Eventually, what was once the feared and mysterious place called Dusktown became a common fact, then an old legend, and finally, a distant thought." Faint lines appeared on Celestia's face as her gaze settled on nothing in particular. "Time passed, and so many things were forgotten."

"Before I was banished," Luna said, "I spent much of my time in Dusktown. The vamponies held a certain amount of trust towards me for who I am, and aside from the rogue Hunter breaking their vow, they were at peace."

Twilight and Ruby listened intently, though with mixed feelings on the matter. In the corner of her eye, Twilight saw Lunar Pearl becoming less willing to eat by the moment.

"When I returned," Luna continued, "I immediately returned my attention to Dusktown. I had imagined that they might have been fully cured by then, but I was pleased to see that they at least no longer craved blood."

 _~Because they're so much better off.~_

 _Shhh!_

A smile appeared on Luna's face. "I was taken aback by their joyous reception. The bat ponies were all too eager to welcome me, something I thought would be common across Equestria until my arrival in Ponyville on Nightmare Night made me think otherwise. But nonetheless, I found nothing but warm welcomes in Dusktown. By then, my sister had already begun allowing them into the guard, and I made it a point to have some as my escorts, a sign of my trust and hope for them."

"Were…" Twilight said, swallowing a lump in her throat as everypony turned their attention towards her. "Were the bat ponies… confined in Dusktown?"

"Unfortunately," Celestia said sadly, "certain promises had to be kept."

"Hold on," Applejack said. "If bat ponies don't need blood any more, then wouldn't that mean they were cured?"

"Even though only one in every fifty bat ponies would crave blood," Celestia replied, "I am still bound to the promises I made. And unlike the ones that only I now remember, the Hunters have ensured that ours would never be forgotten, and a select few have kept it firm in their minds and hearts through the generations. Most of their descendants are not even aware of the matter, but enough with significant political positions have, and they continue to hold onto their promises to ensure that I do the same."

"I'm sorry," Twilight interjected. "Did you say one in every fifty bat ponies crave blood?"

"That is correct," Celestia replied. "They aren't full vamponies, nor do they possess the full strength of their ancestors, but their craving is enough to legally justify the continued watch."

Twilight brought a hoof to her chin. _Night Walker failed to mention that._

 _~It's not that important of a detail considering everything,~_ Ruby said. _~Ask her about the mutations.~_

"Are… Are they any side effects with the curing process?"

"If you are referring to the ailments and suffering of the bat ponies," Celestia said quietly. "Then yes."

A wave of anger flowed from Ruby, and Twilight was hard pressed not to sneer in reflex. "There's at least been effort to prevent that, right?"

"Of course!" Celestia quickly replied, even leaning forward as she said it. "Every attempt has and still is being taken to prevent any ill effects. I refuse to stop trying until the vampirism and every single defect is gone."

The way she spoke caught Twilight by surprise. She spoke in a pleading tone as if to convince Twilight that she really had been trying her hardest, a behavior Twilight had never seen from her before. It had seemed to Twilight like a much younger Celestia had spoken, from a time when ruling was still very new to her.

" _We_ won't stop," Luna added, placing her hoof on top of Celestia's. "The bat ponies are our citizens, and we will give them our unending support."

Luna squeezed Celestia's hoof in reassurance, her silent message that Celestia should not burden herself with guilt alone.

"Which brings me to ask, Twilight," Luna said afterward. "You mentioned something about a cure when you returned?"

Everyone turned to Twilight, causing her to blush faintly as she lowered her ears. "I'm not sure if you could call it a full cure… But… Yes, something along the lines was discovered."

"Please explain," Luna asked intently.

Twilight gulped as she formed the words in her mind. As she was about to begin, she caught sight of Celestia looking to her firmly, flashing her eyes between her and Shining Armor and Cadance. It took a moment before Twilight understood, but when she did, her voice came out shakier than she thought it would.

"When _I_ was… under the impression that I was an ancient vampony," Twilight said, emphasizing the 'I' in hopes that everypony else who knew would understand. "I turned a bat pony named Shade Flare into a vampony."

"I know this name," Luna said. "Some of the elders in the town told me about him. He's believed to be the first one to assist Night Walker."

Twilight nodded in confirmation. "From what I remember, he was second in command aside myself and Night Walker." Twilight briefly glanced towards Shining Armor, spotting Cadance's soothing touch on his tense leg. "At first, we thought the transformation had gone wrong," Twilight continued. "There was something about him that was different from Night Walker and myself, something I didn't quite understand. And we didn't have time to study him due to an attack."

"Commander Wintermane," Shining Armor stated. "He was the one who _led_ the search party." Shining Armor then flashed what Twilight saw as an angry glance at Celestia, but she held her suspicions to herself. He looked like he was about to speak more on the matter, but Cadance's sudden touch on his shoulders made him reconsider.

Twilight's face became sullen at imagining what Shining Armor must have done when he was informed about her disappearance.

"Ponies had… died during that attack," Twilight quietly continued. "One of them… I… I had…" Before Rarity could place a supportive hoof on her, Twilight quickly took a breath and wiped her eyes, clearing her throat before continuing. "When Night Walker joined me later in Manehattan, a bat pony named Mist Hoof was dying."

Rarity and Applejack shared a quick glance at the name.

"Shade Flare was the one who turned him, and it was then that I found out that he had become a new type of vampony, one that did not need blood to survive. Without it, he was a normal bat pony without any noticeable defects, though I can't say if it would cure every defect. But when he did have some, he would become a full vampony." Twilight's voice had by now returned to strength, and she spoke clearly. "Once I had removed the alicorn magic inside of them and completed the transformation, he was able to exist in an inbetween state of both sides."

"But how is that possible?" Celestia asked. "In all honesty, I'm surprised you have already begun working with alicorn magic, something we will talk about later, but being turned by a vampony should have made him into a regular vampony. What would have caused this to happen?"

"I'm not sure," Twilight replied. "I don't have many memories of when I first woke up after being kidnapped." Twilight tried to search the faded memories that mostly belonged to Ruby, who—after some coaxing—begrudgingly revealed them. Flashes of the cave, the bat ponies, Soul Magic, and even the brief discussions of Shadow Magic played across her mind. After being certain that she and Ruby hadn't overlooked anything, Twilight shook her head. "I can't think of anything that would have caused him to turn out that way."

"I believe I do," Rarity said. Waiting for each pony's attention she continued, "Twilight, you mentioned back in the library that you could see souls."

"Yes," Twilight replied hesitantly, catching look of surprise from both Celestia and Luna.

"And didn't you mention that you might have figured out how the Elements of Harmony worked?"

"Yeah," Twilight replied, now beginning look more puzzled.

"It is just a guess," Rarity said. "But the night before you left, we had tried using the Elements of Harmony on you to remove your vampirism." Even as Rarity said it, she widened her eyes at her statement. She looked as if she was about to speak more on the matter, but decided otherwise, choosing to settle back in her seat as she became lost in thought.

"That's right," Twilight said in sudden understanding. She brought her hoof to her chin as she spun through the appearing ideas. "I'm not sure how we can confirm it but… Maybe… It _is_ possible I suppose."

"Do you have an idea of what might have happened?" Celestia asked, both her and Luna coming to the same conclusion as well.

"I might," Twilight said as she lowered her hoof. "The Elements of Harmony are powered by soul resonance, and they create balance where there is none. Some things are rejected outright, while others are transformed. And it was clear that vampirism was not rejected when we tried to use them on me." Twilight closed her eyes as she and Ruby looked in a particular memory in detail. "I was able to see Night Walker's soul briefly, and while there was many things wrong with him, I was able to get a good look at the vampirism inside of him. I never spent much time thinking about it, but there is a small difference between his and mine. Shade Flare and Mist Hoof still have… something inside them that I can't really explain, but they did have some similarities, and one of those was something I had that Night Walker didn't." Opening her eyes again, she looked to everyone. "I'm still a pure vampony, but Shade Flare and Mist Hoof must have been changed because of me. My blood must have a different effect than Night Walker's."

"If that is true…" Celestia said, looking down in deep thought. Everypony waited quietly for her, the grumbling of the stomachs forced those who hadn't eaten yet to start on their food. Twilight paid no attention to hers, and studied Celestia intently.

Then, Celestia nodded to herself, appearing to have come to a decision, and looked to Twilight. "Luna and I have already discussed what I am about to ask, but I think it is more important now than it was before."

"As you are aware," Luna said, "Dusktown was attacked a few days ago. Night Walker, along with a small group of bat ponies, had managed to create an opening between the on duty guard and took fifty-six adult bat ponies with them. The town itself now only has less than two-hundred occupants left."

Twilight was almost unable to ask, but she managed to do so. "How… How many died?"

Luna closed her eyes. "Eighteen guards and seven attackers."

Twilight's face tightened as she bit her lip, trying hard not to let herself dwell on those numbers. Ruby, however, was not as successful, and Twilight's eyes watered at the pain and anger that arose from Ruby.

"Great, a few more attacks like that and Night Walker will have an army," Rainbow Dash said, scowling at a piece of broccoli before jabbing it with a fork.

"I doubt Night Walker will receive any more assistance from Dusktown," Luna said. "All of those willing to follow him had done so from the beginning, and the rest had, as you might say, been on the fence on the matter."

Twilight looked to Luna questioningly. And Ruby's turmoil turned into curiosity as well. "What do you mean?" Twilight asked.

Luna regarded Twilight for a moment before replying, "I'm sure you already have an image of Dusktown painted in your mind. I cannot say what it was you expected, but I do not think it is as bad as imagined."

"Twilight," Celestia said, waiting until she looked to her. There was a pained look to her eyes as she asked, "Do you really think I would treat any pony cruelly?"

Twilight's ears fell back. "Of course not! I just… I had been lead to believe—"

"It's fine," Celestia said, gently cutting her off. "I can only imagine what Night Walker has told you, which is why what I'm about to ask you is even more important." Twilight looked to Celestia with an open mouth, a hint of what would be asked playing across her mind. "You may of course, decline," Celestia began. "I understand if you are not feeling up to it, or if it is too uncomfortable, but I think it might be best if you—"

"I'll go," Twilight quietly said.

Celestia and Luna widened their eyes, but gave her reassuring nods at her acceptance.

"I've known for awhile that I needed to go. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't go at least once. Just to see…"

Twilight's friends all looked to her with worry, each of them with faces of worry and support. Twilight glanced at each of them in turn, receiving sad eyes or nods of support, then finally looked to Lunar Pearl.

Lunar Pearl's already lowered ears flattened even more as everypony else began looking at her as well, and she tried to make herself smaller.

"What is your name?" Luna asked, causing Lunar Pearl to stiffen when she realised she was speaking to her.

"Lu… Lunar Pearl…" she quietly replied.

A warm smile appeared on Luna's face. "Would you like to go home, Lunar Pearl?"

Lunar Pearl looked to her, then Celestia, then finally to Twilight. She searched for some sign of Ruby within the familiar but now strange face. But the way Twilight looked at her, despite her kind and helpful expression, was not the same way Ruby would look at her, and she lowered her gaze. "I want to be back with my sister…"

"Don't worry, Loopey," Pinkie Pie said with a smile, receiving a hopeful look in return from Lunar Pearl. The nickname of 'Lu' and 'Pe' from her whole name made Lunar Pearl feel somewhat better, and she didn't pull away when Pinkie Pie wrapped a hoof around her. "I got a sister too. She makes really good rock candy. We can make some for Lily Wing if you like."

A smile finally appeared on Lunar Pearl's face, and she nodded happily.

Everypony else, however, did not smile at the situation the poor filly was in.

"We'll leave tomorrow afternoon," Celestia announced. "There are some affairs that Luna and I must attend to, and I would like to speak with you later, Twilight. There is still much more to discuss."

"Of course," Twilight said.

"We get you first," Cadance said, smiling to her warmly.

"I would like that," Twilight softly replied.

* * *

"Please, come in," Celestia called when Twilight knocked on the door. She took a quick breath to compose herself somewhat, and wiped away the tear stains on her cheeks from her time with Shining Armor and Cadance. Then she opened the door, idly noting how much easier it was for her to open the weighted door.

Stepping inside, Twilight wistfully gazed about the wide but modestly decorated room she had spent so much time in. The large circular bed where stories had been told and difficult homework was solved sat at the end of the room. To its side was the few desks and drawers within the room, breaking up the built in shelving that ran along the walls that held a variety of trinkets and mementos of Celestia's past. And to the left was the open balcony that revealed the night sky. Twilight was able to see the telescope she had gifted to Celestia when she was younger, what she thought was the perfect present at the time. Much to her embarrassment as she grew older, Celestia refused to part with it and frequently told her it was one of her most cherished possessions. It was there next to it that Celestia stood, looking out into the night with a melancholic gaze.

Twilight closed the door behind her, and stood awkwardly in silence until, eventually, Celestia unfolded a wing and beckoned Twilight to her side with it.

With some uncertainty, Twilight slowly walked forward, and came up to Celestia's side to look out over the land. Canterlot's lights shined like dotted stars against the mountain ledge, and the glow of partially visibly street lights showed the paths of the winding streets. And far down below, was the much darker land of Equestria where the dotted lights of Ponyville, and beyond that, the gentle glow on the horizon of faraway cities.

Twilight stood quietly as she stared out at the scenery, finding a new appreciation for it that went well beyond the new details she could now make out. Looking out across the city with her recent trials running through her mind, it seemed a wonder that such a lovely night could exist. She realized that while so much was different, there were many things that were still the same.

An inkling of an idea of how Celestia faced the passage of time crossed Twilight's mind, along with the wonderment of how many times she must have looked out at the ever so slowly growing world around her.

Then, as if she had read her mind, Celestia spoke, "So much has changed, yet nothing has at the same time."

Twilight's heart thumped at the statement, but she otherwise remained quiet.

"I thought I had brought peace to everyone…" Celestia spoke quietly. "I thought those dark days were now far behind… I shouldn't have let myself become so complacent…"

"Celestia…" Twilight said, though she didn't have an idea of what to say.

Celestia closed her eyes for a moment as she sighed, then slowly turned back towards her room. Twilight wordlessly followed.

 _I've never seen her like this,_ Twilight said to Ruby, uncertain of what to do. Ruby, though, did not reply. Twilight mentally 'tsked' at her, and continued alongside Celestia who ungraciously climbed into the bed and sat upright in the middle.

"Celestia," Twilight said after finding her voice. "Is… Is something wrong?"

"Just myself," Celestia replied solemnly. She turned her head to Twilight and asked, "Twilight, would you please join me?" The air of confidence that always surrounded Celestia was vacant, and she gave Twilight a pleading look. It made Twilight nervous to say the least.

Twilight couldn't help but let her worry and confusion show, but she complied and slowly got onto the bed and sat beside her.

"I'm so sorry this has happened to you," Celestia whispered, her voice quivering as she spoke. She rested her head against Twilight, gently shifting her body weight as she leaned in to Twilight. Twilight found her weight easy to support, most likely because of her recent biological changes she figured, but she was otherwise speechless at Celestia comforting herself against her. "I should have been more prepared. If I had... then perhaps none of this would have happened."

"Y-You can't blame yourself," Twilight quickly spoke. She wasn't quite sure what she should be saying, but she wasn't about to stay quiet as her mentor consoled herself with her for the first time . "It isn't your fault, you couldn't have seen this coming."

"But I did, I did see it…" Celestia whispered, her voice becoming hoarse. "I was so hopeful that it wouldn't, but I was blinded by everything I have built, everything I have worked for, everything that I have done for these last thousand years." Celestia pulled her head away, and she sat upright as she stared absently at the floor. "I was lucky that everything turned out the way it did with my sister, and I was overjoyed at it. Then Discord appeared, and somehow, that too was managed. Even more surprisingly, he's changed his nature enough to be a friend to Equestria. Then Sombra returned and…" Celestia closed her eyes as she visibly tried to her keep her composure. "Everything I had thought that was long behind me is returning, and I've done nothing to prepare for it."

"You couldn't have expected any of this to happen," Twilight urgently replied. "Well, with Luna you could, but not the rest."

"But it is my responsibility to keep Equestria safe," Celestia recited in a monotone voice. "It is my responsibility to make sure my ponies are protected. And I've let myself become so fixated on Equestria's peace that I neglected its ability to defend itself." Then, her well composed face cracked, and she grit her teeth as a tears appeared in her eyes. "I've smothered it like an overcaring mother would a child! I thought I was protecting it, but all I've done is make it vulnerable and unprepared for the world!"

Twilight stared open mouthed at her, unable to stop her own eyes from watering up in kind. Her heart did not know how to handle a sight like this from Celestia.

"Twilight, you do not know what it was like back then," Celestia continued with a quiet voice. "It was such a different world. The ponies of today would be helpless against it. They do not know what it means to fear what the next day or night might bring, they don't have to look towards other ponies with guarded suspicion, and even death is reserved for only the elderly and sick."

Celestia's wings quivered as she spoke, and Twilight found herself instinctively wrapping her wings around her, though she could only cover a portion of her body. "Have you told Luna about this?" Twilight asked, fumbling for something to say.

"She knows some of it," Celestia said, sniffing somewhat at the mention of her sister's name. "But I can't burden her with my guilt. She deserves better. She doesn't need another weight within her."

"Well… I…" Twilight said. Then, to her surprise, she uttered something she never thought she would. "I… I don't think you're right."

The statement made Celestia widen her eyes, and she looked to Twilight.

"E-Equestria isn't helpless," Twilight continued with a wavering voice. She needed to do something, say something. She needed to support Celestia like Celestia had always done for her. "Sure, we've had some hard times, but we've always managed." Twilight gave a weak smile. "This one may be worse than normal but… but we..."

Twilight's voice trailed off at Celestia's sullen stare, and Twilight began to remember the ponies who had so far died. She was unable to continue, because she knew what she was trying to say was wrong; this was much worse than anything she had been a part of.

"It was so painful watching what ponies were suffering through," Celestia eventually continued, "that I promised myself that I would make Equestria a better place. A place where ponies would be safe in their own homes and not have to worry for their lives every day. I wanted to banish the darkness, to bury the past so deep that it wouldn't be remembered by anypony save myself. But in doing so, I have made Equestria more vulnerable than it has ever been. And you… You were victim to my folly."

Twilight only stared with a tearful gaze as Celestia's once proud and regal form became nothing more than a pained and grieving mare, a far cry of Twilight's inner perspective of her.

Celestia's eyes widened in recognition of Twilight's tear stained and dejected face, and she choked as she tried to recompose herself. "I'm sorry," Celestia said between heavy breaths as she cleared her eyes. "I shouldn't have troubled you. I don't want you to worry."

"No, it's okay," Twilight said weakly as she too wiped her eyes.

After some moments of straightening themselves up, Celestia spoke, "Twilight, you mean so much to me." Turning to Twilight's stunned expression, she continued, "I've had many ponies become a part of my life. More than once I've wished that they could stay with me for far longer than they were able to. But you... " Celestia swallowed as she felt more tears build, but continued. "You've been like a daughter to me, something so few have ever been. And out of all those who I would call my children, you alone have become an alicorn. You are the one pony that will actually be able to follow me through time, the only one who can stand by my side as an equal, and I… I nearly lost you."

Celestia leaned forward and wrapped Twilight within her wings, placing her chin on top of Twilight's head. "There are few things that I will allow myself to become selfish with, and you are one of them, Twilight. And it is through my own lack of preparation that you were almost taken away from me. I cannot bear having another become lost to me like my sister was. I can't lose Luna, Cadance, or you. I can't lose any of you again..."

Twilight let her head fall forward to bury herself into Celestia's coat as she silently cried. Overwhelmed, she briefly wondered just how much a mare could cry before she simply couldn't anymore.

Time passed, and Twilight and Celestia remained beside each other throughout the night, eventually settling down and falling asleep. Twilight remained covered within Celestia's wings, a blanket of feathers that soothed her and let her dream peacefully through the night. Twilight's warm body made Celestia hold onto her even in sleep, bringing the heart-warming thought that Twilight would not fade into the past like so many others had, and it was that thought that was the focus of her dreams.

It was a beautiful dream, one filled with happiness that Luna had only seen a few times since her return, and she could not help but feel her legs weaken as she stood on the balcony in silent observation.

The two dreams had caught her attention during her nightly duties, and she had returned to the waking world at once to see them with her own eyes. It brought a long smile to her face at seeing her sister sleep as she did now, and she was ever thankful for Twilight's relatively safe return.

From the way they were now, Luna figured that the conversation had turned out very differently than what she and Celestia had planned for Twilight. They had previously discussed that now was the time to bring Twilight up to speed on matters, but she was overjoyed at the fact that Celestia had finally let herself become open. She had only seen her sister do it once—the night of her return—and she was worried that the centuries of lonely vigilance had hardened her to the point of never opening up to another pony again, much like the same inner demon that Luna still faced on such matters. But that worry seemed lessened now, and Luna departed the balcony with a brief but hopeful smile.

Circling into the night sky, Luna perched herself atop the highest tower in Canterlot, and she stared intently across the land. Somewhere, Night Walker and some one-hundred and fifty bat ponies were preparing for who knows what. And while that thought frightened Luna, the fact that that was all that had happened thus far frightened her even more.

She shared Celestia's sentiments on the state of Equestria, though she couldn't help but feel proud at Celestia's accomplishment of peace. But now that that peace was threatened...

Her eyes narrowed as she recalled the distant past, memories of her encounters with Night Walker and how dangerous he could truly be. He was cunning, often times merciless, and perplexing in his actions. But this… This was confusing even by his standards. He was being sloppy, slow, and careless. Why he was going to such lengths for the bat ponies instead of raising an army, or even revealing his existence instead of securing a place for himself in the world from within the shadows, Luna could only guess.

Turning her head to the sky, then north, and finally to the far south, Luna idly thought about the remaining two Shepherds. Would they appear as well? Why had they vanished in the first place?

Luna stood atop the tower long into the night, wondering what was happening to the world her sister had diligently built, and what would become of it in the end.


	44. Chapter 44

_Still is the field,_  
 _And still is the heart,_  
 _The wind blows cold,_  
 _Beneath the twinkling of stars._

 _Rest your eyes,_  
 _And calm your soul,_  
 _Let soot and ash,_  
 _Drift away in the cold._

 _It begins with a pause,_  
 _Then settles to pace,_  
 _A glaze in the eyes,_  
 _And a hollow face._

 _But do not despair,_  
 _For lives you have won,_  
 _Let soot and ash,_  
 _Fade beneath the sun._

 _Turn your head,_  
 _To the sweet sunrise,_  
 _Lift your spirits,_  
 _As high as the sky._

 _Carry on,_  
 _And forget not your pact,_  
 _Let soot and ash,_  
 _Be always your path._

 _Soot and ash,_  
 _Will follow our wrath._

* * *

Rarity stood the near the railing, a passive expression on her face as she drifted past the mountains. It was the Unicorn Range, a wall of winding mountains that branched out across western Equestria. It had been a long desire of hers to someday see them up close. It had several unique attributes, one them being that many of Equestria's rarest and most precious gemstones were mined from its roots. Its other well-known trait was its naturally sparkling rock faces, which she could see glittering in the setting sunlight clearly from her vantage point. She could not help but admire and appreciate their beauty, fulfilling one of the many dreams she'd kept since her fillyhood. But it seemed so unimportantly small now, even with her view from the portside of an airship.

The ship floated across the sky parallel to the mountains, slowly coming closer for the eventual crossing of the peaks that their route would require. Far below was the rolling hills that formed the base of the Unicorn Range, their colors ever so slightly changing between each distinct mound of earth. From this height Rarity couldn't make out the variety of flowers and stones that gave the hills their colorful appearance, but neither did the prolonged, nearly vertical downward gaze through miles of open air elicit any fear.

More than once she leaned herself over the edge, craning her upper body farther and farther forward over the rail. She never had a phobia of heights growing up, but neither did she ever fully recover from her disastrous fall from Cloudsdale. She should have felt something inside from pushing herself over the edge as she did, an inkling of alarm at being so dangerously close to falling. Desperate for some kind of response, she continued further and further until she knew that anymore and she would actually fall. She paused in contemplation of the fact that she had physically reached her limit. She stared at the passing hills beneath from her near horizontal position, and yet, she still felt nothing. It was as casual as if she was simply leaning over her chair to stare at the wooden floor.

Ever since then, she had chosen to remain alone at the front port of the ship, keeping the Unicorn Range within sight, and leaving her to wonder what she would find once they crossed over them.

Then, her ears flicked, and her body tensed. It was a subtle sound, barely distinguishable amidst the noises of high altitude winds and the working ponies of the airship. Or perhaps her awareness stemmed from a strange and faint sensation she had detected. She did not know. But regardless of which it was, it only added to the inner worry of how much easier it was becoming to notice _her_.

"Hello, Twilight," Rarity said, keeping her eyes forward.

"Hey," Twilight quietly replied as she came to Rarity's side and joined her in watching the scenery.

Rarity took note of Twilight's voice and the subtleties within it, mentally crafting an image of Twilight's underlying mood.

"How are your brother and Princess Cadance handling things?"

"Better now that we've talked more," Twilight replied, the hint of weariness hardly noticeable in her tone. "We got most of everything out last night, but these last few hours have been really nice. I wish they could have come with us instead of talking to me through letters, but there's a lot they need to attend to, especially since Celestia and Luna are with us."

"Hmmm," Rarity replied. The flow of the conversation was clear in her mind, what reactions Twilight might have to the various but specific questions that floated in Rarity's mind. All she needed was a nudge in the right direction. "Have you told them about Ruby yet?"

Rarity did not need to see her to know Twilight's face creased at the question.

"No, not yet."

"Did Princess Celestia say why you shouldn't?"

"I forgot to ask her last night."

"If I had to guess, I imagine it's just until they've had some time to adjust to the situation," Rarity commented. "It is a lot to handle, after all."

"You're probably right," Twilight replied in a low tone.

"You shouldn't worry yourself so much about it. Perhaps once we find some answers in Dusktown you should tell them. I can understand the wait, but they shouldn't be kept in the dark for too long."

"Yeah… that sounds good," Twilight said, sighing moments after.

The sound finally made Rarity turn to look at Twilight, noting Twilight's somewhat slumped form, her drooped head, closed eyes, and deep breaths. It was clear the inner weight of such matters held her attention, and it left her vulnerable.

Rarity observed Twilight closely for several moments. Her posture, her state of mind, what her reactions would be at this very moment. From among the many choices that came to her mind with a level of clarity that only her dressmaking decisions could match, Rarity chose one.

She wrapped her hoof around Twilight's neck, and pulled her into an embrace.

Twilight wordlessly let herself be guided into Rarity's arms, and returned the hug as she kept her face hidden beneath her mane.

Feeling Twilight's body against hers, Rarity's face became tight, and she closed her eyes to hide the moisture that was building up.

She had exploited Twilight. She saw her mood so clearly and knew what buttons to press to further it, to lower her guard, to create an opening. And she took it. Regardless of the outcome, she had been very aware of what she had been doing, and she'd done it anyway.

A shudder passed through her body as the unnatural clarity of her surroundings began to dim, and the increasingly absent emotion of fear crept back into her mind. For the first time in her life, she was beginning to appreciate being afraid.

"You finally relaxed," Twilight quietly said.

Rarity let out a small gasp, and pulled back to look at Twilight with wide eyes.

Twilight, however, simply held a knowing look along with a sad smile. "I should have said something when I approached. You've been tense this whole time. I could feel it when you hugged me."

Water formed in Rarity's eyes as she pulled away, being mindful of her mascara as she wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry."

They had discussed this before, many times in fact, back in Ponyville. This was a situation that affected them both, one that may try to come between them from time to time. They were two sides of the same coin in a manner. And when it did threaten them, they would fall back on the promise they had made.

Rarity sat down on the wooden deck to idly look at the passing mountains, and Twilight sat beside her. For the remainder of the trip, and possibly for the majority of the time in Dusktown, they would not leave the other's side. It was a bond that was, in its nature, designed to keep them apart, but they decided they would instead use it to bring them closer than ever before.

They sat in silence for minutes as the sun set below the horizon, causing the glittering specks on the Unicorn Range to dim.

"Do you feel anything towards me?" Rarity asked.

"Some wariness, but it's most likely from noticing the tension from you," Twilight replied. Rarity merely hummed in response.

It was a hard answer, but an honest one. Being straightforward was something they quickly learned during those first few days after Twilight's return. They couldn't afford to be too hesitant with each other when regarding such serious matters. They couldn't be afraid of hurting the other's feelings when it was possible they would be hurt so much more otherwise.

"You seem less worried, or rather, I should say, you're attitude has changed," Rarity commented. Even though she despised her acute awareness of Twilight now and then, she had to admit it made figuring her out far easier than normal. At times it was so precise it was borderline mind reading.

And Twilight was begrudgingly learning to accept it. "The conversation Celestia and I had wasn't what I expected…"

Rarity turned her head to Twilight, her inner intent now in support instead of exploitation.

"I've never seen her break down," Twilight continued in a quiet voice. "I wouldn't even call what happened last night her fully breaking down. She just… She was overwhelmed. She's never been open to me like that before…"

"She acted like a pony, not a princess," Rarity guessed.

Twilight nodded. "She's always been so confident, so certain. It's like no matter what happened, she would always be there to show the way. To let you know that it would be alright. No matter what the situation, she would always stand firm and tall."

Rarity's eyes briefly left Twilight to spy the large cabin on the upper deck at the other end of the airship, the quarters Celestia and Luna shared as they traveled.

"But it's not like I think less of her," Twilight continued. "I never imagined that I would become so close to her. But at the same time, It's just… It feels like things aren't like they used to be. Like some hidden wall isn't there anymore to hold things back."

"It's like an illusion on things has finally wore off," Rarity said with an empty voice. "Reality isn't the hopeful thing you once thought it was."

Twilight felt like smirking, but she couldn't find the will to do it. "It's annoying how much better you're becoming at reading me."

"I didn't read that from you, dear," Rarity replied. "I've just come to feel the same thing myself."

Twilight had nothing to say to that, and they soon found themselves watching the mountains again as the moon climbed into the sky. Their steady incline towards them closed by the minute, and they guessed that it wouldn't be long until they finally cut over the peaks and into the heart of the range.

"You know that the Unicorn Mountains used to be the Gemstone family's kingdom?" Twilight asked.

"I did," Rarity replied.

"Are you worried about going there?"

"A little," Rarity said in a relieved voice, glad to at least feel something about something. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised the Hunters wanted Dusktown within their ancestral lands. How are you feeling about it?"

"Nervous," Twilight replied. She nibbled slightly on her lip as she searched for the words. "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do when I get there. I have nothing against the bat ponies, but I can't help but feel uncomfortable about it given that Ruby was so close with them. It's like I have an expectation or duty to them now, and I never had the chance or choice to decide that for myself."

"You don't want the responsibility of the bat ponies?"

"I suppose," Twilight said as her eyes trailed downward. "I'm a princess now, which means all the ponies of Equestria are my responsibility. But… I'm not sure what the bat ponies specifically mean to me. Ruby was completely fine with making them her only focus, but I can't feel the same. At least, not yet. And I'm not even sure I want to…"

"What Ruby did has nothing to do with what you will do," Rarity replied firmly. "You have no obligations to anything she or Night Walker created, and you shouldn't hold yourself to their actions."

Twilight nodded idly at the comment, then gave a small frown. Looking at Rarity, she asked, "You didn't call Ruby an 'it'."

It appeared for a moment that Rarity would say something hostile by the way her eyes glared, but the demeanor quickly changed into resignation as she looked away. "Applejack and I had a talk. She… She thinks we should be… more _supportive_ to you about Ruby. At least, until you decide what you're going to do with her."

"Oh," Twilight said. That was a surprise she hadn't been expecting.

"Speaking of inner soul-changing entities," Rarity said momentarily. "I might have an idea on how to deal with mine."

"Oh?" Twilight repeated.

"The Elements of Harmony."

Rarity waited as Twilight's face frowned in that way it always did when thinking hard about something. Her eyes went through the usual movements of coming to conclusions, lighting up at new ideas, then shifting again as she applied them to her imaginary model on the topic. Whether this puzzle solving mood would last a few seconds, or a few minutes, Rarity had no idea. Especially given the nature of the problem. So it was to her surprise, then confusion when Twilight looked back to her and simply said, "Maybe."

"Maybe?" Rarity replied in a displeased tone.

Twilight nodded. "To be honest, I have no idea if they would help or just make it worse."

"But you're Twilight!" Rarity said. "If anypony knows these things it's you. It's either a yes or no!"

"It isn't that simple."

"Yes it is!" Rarity stood up and glared at Twilight. "It is that simple. You simply pick them up and use them! The fact that I didn't think about using them until yesterday is bad enough, but saying that they _might_ help? I need to know if they can or can't!"

A few ponies turned to glance at the two of them on the front deck, but otherwise kept to themselves.

Twilight held a disheartened look as she too got onto her hooves. "Rarity, I wish I could tell you if it would work or not. I wish I could say that it _would_ remove it from you. But I can't promise you anything. I just don't know! I still don't even fully understand what the Elements did to me."

"Then you need to figure it out! Look into my soul or whatever it is you need to do and tell me!" Despite her angry glare, tears were forming in Rarity's eyes, and Twilight only became further dismayed.

"I don't know how yet. Ruby has that knowledge."

"Then get it from her!"

"It doesn't work like that, Rarity," Twilight said, lowering her ears as her voice became softer and softer.

"It has to work. I need to know!" Rarity stated as she started to back away. Twilight, though, made sure to stay within a few steps.

"Rarity… I know you're frightened. But we-"

"Frightened?" Rarity scoffed, causing Twilight to flinch. "You think being frightened is the problem?" Rarity stared at her with a glower. "I _need_ to be scared, Twilight. I need to be terrified. Because if I'm not, then I can't worry about whether or not I'm going to be like this for the rest of my life. You aren't the only pony who is affected by this, Twilight. What about my family? What about Sweetie Belle?"

"You'd never hurt them!"

"Of course I wouldn't hurt them physically!" Rarity shouted. "They'd only be hurt in every other way!" Rarity's breathing was becoming heavier as she struggled inside. With each moment her inner world threatened to break like before. The cold and calculated mental state threatened to smother everything but her anger. She could feel the chilled fury rise inside of her. Holding on to every other feeling was becoming difficult. Retaining her fear was the most difficult. And to her dismay, the image of Sweetie Belle being affected by all this in the worst possible way was the only thing allowing her to keep from being fully taken over. It churned her stomach to know that it was the only way to stave off the mental transformation, and even worse, she worried that eventually it might not be enough.

"It's not just fear that leaves me, Twilight," Rarity said in a hoarse voice. "At its worst, it feels like everything is gone. It makes me feel cold both in mind and heart. Like there isn't anything else." Her mascara was running now, and she hardly paid it mind. "You may feel like you're on fire. Like an overwhelming desire burns through you. It makes you feel alive. But me…" Rarity swallowed a lump in her throat. "I don't have any of that. It makes me feel so little, Twilight. It makes me feel dead. Dead like the things that the Gemstone's had fought. They made themselves dead so they could fight the dead!" Rarity's face then contorted into something painful as she spoke in a faint voice, "For my sister's sake, I can't be dead."

Twilight stared aghast at Rarity, the overwhelming urge to hold her being held back the the fear that it would only exasperate the situation further. Getting a glimpse of what Rarity was suffering brought on a fresh wave of pain. Rarity had been right. Despite Twilight's aversion and contempt for herself for what she felt, she didn't know if it would be better to feel nothing at all.

"I need to know…" Rarity then said in a surprisingly quieter voice, the contempt in her eyes falling away to sullen fear. "I need to know what I have to do… I need to be in control. I… I have to know if I can fix it, or if I have to live with it… I need to prepare..." Rarity's legs began to shaken, and she slowly lowered herself to the floor. "Please, tell me, Twilight… Please, tell me…"

Twilight was besides Rarity's slumping form in a moment, and she held her tightly.

Neither said anything more on the matter, and they simply resigned themselves to sitting together on the wooden deck. Rarity kept her breakdown as quiet as she could, and many times mumbled something about stopping or that she was alright. But Twilight's insistent embrace and hushed words instead urged her on. She was intent on being there for Rarity as Rarity had been there for her, and Twilight was not willing to let Rarity slip away into her inner dead world as she had described it. Even if it hurt her to do so, Twilight kept Rarity in her sad, fearful, living world while she could.

The two of them sat at the front of the ship, being allowed plenty of privacy from the rest of the ponies as they went about their duties. The winds shifted, ropes were tightened, and the airship steadily turned to its port. In minutes they passed the outer peaks of Unicorn Range and drifted into the heart of the mountains.

* * *

Climbing the stairs and opening the door to the deck, Twilight and Rarity stepped out into the cool night air. Both closed their eyes and took a moment to enjoy it, Rarity more so as she felt the newly applied mascara dry further. And neither of them had to open them to know that a pony was approaching

"Excuse me, your highness," the stallion said, one of the airships workers. They opened their eyes to look at him, and he offered a small bow. "The two of you are being waited upon in the main cabin. The Princesses and your friends are there now."

Twilight nodded at him as he returned to work. Turning to Rarity, she gave her a questioning look. "Ready?"

Rarity took a deep breath, then rolled her shoulders as she straightened her posture. "Yes."

Crossing the deck in a quick fashion, they knocked on the door once, then entered. Inside were Celestia, Luna, Cadance, Shining Armor, and their friends. All of them were standing about an expertly crafted desk that held various papers.

"Twilight, Rarity," Celestia said. "Please come over. We were just beginning the introduction to Dusktown."

Once the two of them joined the group Luna began to speak. "As you all know, Dusktown was the settlement my sister and I created for the vamponies. It was to be their home until cured, and watched over by the Hunters until that time came to pass. For this reason, the Hunters insisted that it be located within their old kingdom's borders. Given that the lands had not been claimed by neighboring kingdoms and its remote location was ideal, it was agreed and settled upon."

With her magic, Luna unrolled one of the various scrolls on the desk and laid it out for all to see, a map of Dusktown. "The town itself is built upon the summit of a mountain. Many of the spires within the range have flat tops, and this was one of the largest ones that could be used. It is surrounded by stone walls with guard towers dotting its edges, and the houses, while having changed since my absence, take up the majority of the space within. They are wrought of stone and tile with artfully inlaid gems."

Unraveling another scroll, Luna laid out a map of Unicorn Range, within the mountain expanse sat a detailed picture of Dusktown, surrounded by a large circle. "Despite the initial agreement, the bat ponies are not entirely confined to the town. They are able to fly about and explore a distance from the town so that they may stretch their wings and break from the usual monotony of their home. It may appear short, but this range has been negotiated over time with the nobles."

Twilight kept her expression passive as Ruby made her presence known; her contempt for the situation shown clearly.

"What can we expect about the general mood?" Rarity asked.

"It is unstable," Luna replied. "Everypony within has been shaken by the recent events, but they otherwise continue as normal. The elders have stepped up to quell the worries of the young, and the guards have increased their patrols while requesting more bat ponies volunteer in their program."

"The bat ponies are helping secure the town?" Twilight asked in confusion.

"Why wouldn't they?"

A perplexed frown appeared on Twilight's face. "I just thought…"

Luna gave a knowing nod. "It's best to see things for yourself before you fully believe what others have said. Dusktown is not Ponyville, but neither will you find it cruel."

Twilight was quiet as Luna rolled the parchments. Once done, Luna addressed them all, "We arrive to two hours. Please hold any judgements until then."

* * *

Twilight stared nervously from the stern of the ship. Everyone had gathered beside her as they drew closer to their destination. Wild expectations passed through hers and Ruby's thoughts, some of them becoming overly imaginative before the other gave a reminder that they had strayed from the realm of possibility. They tried to reassure themselves that in all likelihood, it was only a simple town, just like any other with the exception of a few differences. It just happened to be a town of bat ponies who were the descendants of vamponies, the very ponies Night Walker had gathered and used to exert his influence all across Equestria. Nothing more than that.

Nibbling her lip, Twilight stared out across the night landscape, watching with bated breath each time they turned a corner around the towering mountains. If they had been here for any other reason, she might have been able to enjoy the beautiful aerial view. The gentle glow of gem lights from the airship made everypony else need to squint to see anything, unlike Luna and Twilight who saw everything as if it was day.

The old legends that these mountains were the home of the original unicorns gave Twilight some thought as she cautiously looked about. Lush trees grew on random crevices against the rock, moonlight reflected off the crystal clear water shined from far below as rivers snaked their way through the valleys, and every now and then a glint of gems caught her eye. It was a beautiful place, and she briefly thought that perhaps out of all the places in Equestria, this might be the most pleasant one for the bat ponies.

The thought wasn't well received from Ruby, causing the two to reinforce their mental walls against each other for the time being.

Then, as sudden as the wind that came, four ponies appeared off the starboard side of the ship. Everypony's eyes focused on them within the gem light. They were four guards ponies, dressed in pegasi designed royal armor and flying in a close-knit formation. After a few moments of assessing the airship, the ponies touched the gems on their chests and a gentle glow was emitted from the surface, lighting themselves to be fully seen. While Twilight's friends held a surprised look at noticing that their escort was two pegasi and two bat ponies, Twilight's eyes had never left them since their arrival.

Noticing the stare, the two bat ponies locked eyes with Twilight, and a mixture of emotions passed across their faces. What they were, however, Twilight did not know because they shortly split their formation and positioned themselves around the airship, guiding it through the mountains using their chest gems as beacons. The bat ponies then kept their eyes forward and focused on their task, and Twilight continued to stare at them in wonderment and uncertainty, unsure of what she was supposed to be feeling towards them.

As the ship was led through, more ponies caught Twilight's expert eye, and more chests began to glow. Soon there were at least a dozen or so ponies flying around the airship, and while more than half were pegasi, there were enough bat ponies that Twilight found her gaze switching every few moments to take them all in. Twilight even kept an eye on the few who kept a distance from the airship with their gems remaining deactivated, an outer ring of protection.

It was as if a flock of wisps had found their ship and were leading them to some place magical. And when they turned the last corner, Dusktown finally came into sight, and Twilight let out a gasp.

The others had a difficult time making out its form given the few lights placed around it, but Twilight breathlessly saw its entirety. Dusktown was perched on a wide, flat mountain top, easily housing a couple hundred ponies given the number of two stories houses scattered throughout the tightly packed quarters. The architecture was unlike any she had seen before. It was a mix of modern and olden Equestrian, the product of centuries of preservation, careful maintenance, and renovations. A town like this would have been demolished and rebuilt house by house over time in any other part of Equestria. But it was evident that had not happened here. Here instead, was the convergence of old and new artfully woven together, bringing an almost mystical feeling to the town of gem light.

And even more breathtaking was the shining reflection of what looked looked to be thousands of stars laid within the stonework, nebulous in appearance and numerous in color. Even upon realizing that they were gems instead of actual stars, the effect was undiminished. By all accounts, it truly looked to be a town made of the night sky.

Among those glittering reflections that only her, Luna, and the bat ponies could see in their full spectacular appearance, came the awareness of the forms of ponies flying above and around the town, their leathery wings distinct from the ones with feathers even from here. To see so many bat ponies made Twilight's chest feel light, and even Ruby was unable to contain herself at the sight.

"May I present to you," Luna said, sweeping her hoof through the air, "the home of the bat ponies. Dusktown."


	45. Chapter 45

As Twilight stepped out onto the port ramp, she kept a continued and fascinated stare upon Dusktown. With the airship now docked against extended ramps that stretched like crossbeams into the air, the town's gentle and sparkling lights could be seen more clearly. Wordlessly, she followed Celestia and Luna who were the first to disembark. At the end of the ramp and in the middle of the docking port stood a group of guards that consisted of pegasi, unicorns, and bat ponies.

Rarity exited after Twilight and kept close, casually treating the high altitude experience as if it were nothing more than a stroll down the street. Rainbow Dash came next, followed by Pinkie Pie along with Lunar Pearl who had spent the majority of the trip hiding herself away within the cabin. Finally came Fluttershy, leaving only Applejack, who remained firmly attached to the ship's railing.

Applejack nervously glanced at the distant ground below, then back to the ramp between her and the plateau that was Dusktown. She felt as if her stomach had flipped upside, and the fact that everyone else was drawing further away from her by the second wasn't helping. She didn't expect the same reaction from her friends that had wings, but she had at least hoped that maybe Pinkie Pie or Rarity would sympathize with her. But despite Rarity's previous life-threatening experience with heights, she crossed without so much a glance downward, and Pinkie Pie's hopping only made Applejack's stomach sink further.

"Are you alright, miss?" Applejack flinched at the voice, and saw one of the aircrew members readjusting some rope while looking at her curiously.

"Y-Yeah… Just peachy…"

Turning back towards her dilemma, she saw that everyone else had already crossed and were grouping on the docks. _Oh boy… Come on, cowgirl. You can do it._ Gulping once more, she timidly walked out onto the ramp, keeping her body as rigid and straight as she could, like how she imagined a trapeze artist might do. The wood groaning beneath her hooves was making each step harder than the last.

Somewhere around the halfway point, Applejack noticed everypony had turned to watch her, including the welcoming group who appeared to be waiting for her to finish crossing before they began. Applejack gulped again, and she found that her legs were now locked in place. Frozen, she stared at her friends with pleading eyes.

"You okay there, AJ?" Rainbow Dash called out.

Applejack hardly moved her head side to side for fear that she might fall over with anything more.

"Hold still for a moment, darling," Rarity announced before walking out to her. Applejack watched her casual approach with a mixture of relief and awe. Rarity's face was so composed and calm, and while it was reassuring, it unfortunately reminded Applejack of the ancient family curse that beset Rarity. Though, as awful as it was, Applejack was just a smidgen glad for it at the moment, and drew strength from the fearless atmosphere Rarity emanated. While Rarity's face was for the most part passive, Applejack saw a hint of amusement in her eyes as she stopped in front of her and turned around, then flicked her tail. "Hold on, but not too tightly. Twilight and I had just brushed it."

Applejack gave a tiny smile at that, relieved there at least some things that hadn't changed with Rarity. Then, after taking a gentle hold of offered tail within her mouth, she slowly let herself be guided forward, keeping her eyes glued to Rarity's mane until the eventual and comforting presence of stone echoed beneath her hooves. Applejack released Rarity's tail immediately and tilted her hat forward to cover her face, a poor but desperate attempt to hide her beet red cheeks from everyone else, especially from Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie's snickering faces.

"Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Twilight, and esteemed guests…" a humble and old voice said. From the awaiting group an elder bat pony stepped forth and bowed low. He held tinges of silver from his ears down to his tail, his frail wings stuck close to his sides, and he was adorned with a simple blue silk cloth that was wrapped around his shoulders and hung down to his hooves. Even as he spoke, Twilight felt Ruby's increased interest at the similarities that reminded her of another batpony of similar age. "I welcome you to Dusktown."

Celestia and Luna bowed in return, as did Twilight and the rest moments after.

"Elder Grove," Luna replied as she stepped forward. "It is good to see you well after the attack."

Grove's lips parted into a faint smile. "I was lucky enough to only have small injuries. Thankfully, the rest are in good hoofs with the medics you sent. I was informed just earlier this night that the survivors will make a full recovery."

Luna let a relieved sigh. "That is indeed good to hear. I feared that perhaps we had been too late." Luna then stepped to the side and extended a wing towards Twilight. "We will visit the wounded soon enough, but first there are pressing matters we must tend to."

Grove's face became tight as he looked at Twilight, and she found it hard not to squirm under his intense stare. "Yes, let's continue this conversation within the hall," he said shortly. "Please, after you, Princesses."

Celestia and Luna both nodded, as did Twilight before she quickly trotted to their sides. With the alicorns leading the way as everypony else followed, they passed through a wide archway that was at the entrance to the docking port, and stepped out into Dusktown.

The reactions of those who had never seen it before were unanimous.

While the buildings were not as tall or wide, Dusktown felt very close to Canterlot in terms of awe and presence. Everywhere they looked they saw unique and oddly designed buildings with intricate carvings and artworks fashioned into them, and nearly every one glittered from gems that were wedged or built into the stonework. Whether it was by torch light or moonlight, each gem shined like a tiny star. The group looked on with wide eyes as they passed the various decorations. From colorful murals, to more simple and modest designs, each was distinct from the others. Many of the buildings were also covered in painted or glass stained murals, though they were always appeared to be done with dark colors as if to recreate the night sky on the stone surfaces. How many years some of the buildings took with such precision and care with their decorating, none of them could say.

But what caught their eye more were the faint lights that their eyes could not quite focus on. At times it was as if the stone was a window to the stars themselves, showing thousands of tiny bright colors that twinkled in and out of existence at even the slightest shift of the head. However, with some time, some of them concluded it was due to having used slabs from the Unicorn Range itself as raw building material in such a way that their natural beauty was kept intact, recreating the sight they had seen when passing the mountains by air. The most impressive cuts and delicately assembled sections shined in resemblance of the pictures the latest advances of astronomy had revealed, of wonderous images of faraway stars and clouds that filled deep space.

"This is the result of our centuries of residence," Grove spoke, loud enough for everyone to hear as glanced at them with a proud smile. "We have treated our town with love and respect, carving our pride with each and every line and gem into these very buildings." With a sweeping view of his eyes across the buildings they passed, his voice grew in strength. "As long as we are here, so shall we protect this place and continue to adorn it with the effort of our generations. Dusktown is a place of beauty and our home, and so it must stay." His last words, however, held a firm tone as glanced back to Lunar Pearl, and she gripped Pinkie Pie more tightly.

Pinkie Pie looked down to Lunar Pearl in surprise, then to Grove who had already turned forward again. Her smile lessened somewhat, and she now began looking at the town with sense of unease that hadn't been there before. _Loopy doesn't look too happy right now…_

The only other pony that had even noticed the small event was Rarity, and she narrowed her eyes as she stared intently at Grove. Since their arrival, she had kept an eye on the surrounding bat ponies that made up their escort and on the ones they passed who stared at their group with wide eyes from their homes. Compared to her constant and somewhat obsessive attention to Twilight no matter what the situation, she found that the bat ponies only partially registered themselves to her Focus.

There was nothing overt about their presence that made her tense, but a lingering sense of unease drifted in the back of her mind. She felt confident enough to attribute the sensation to the latent vampirism within the bat ponies, and normally she should have abhorred the thought of been so wary and judging towards them. Yet, try as she might, she found that she simply didn't mind having such a perspective.

She believed with effort that perhaps she could have banished the notion from her mind and then berate herself for having even considered it. The Rarity from months ago would have done it on the spot, unable to help but feel awful at even thinking poorly of ponies she had only just met, especially ones who lived in such a dazzling town. But the effort to do so seemed wasteful to her, and so she carried onward, letting herself at least feel the normalcy of enjoying the beauty of the town that was already inspiring new dress designs. For now, the bat ponies would simply have to remain as a faint apprehension, and Twilight a shining beacon whose proximity could never be ignored, no matter what. _This town had just been attacked Night Walker. I musn't let myself become complacent._

Twilight on the other hoof, looked about the town with mixture of emotions.

 _This wasn't was I was expecting…_

 _~Same here...~_

 _To think they built all of this. It's beautiful._

 _~It's a bird cage.~_

Twilight had to make the mental effort to not physically frown. _Is that all you can see it as?_

 _~Spare me, Twilight,~_ Ruby replied in disgust. _~The fact that you can't see it for what it is is making me wonder if I should have even ever trusted you. Yes, it's beautiful, but that doesn't change the fact they can't leave it.~_

 _Elder Grove seems to like it here. And look at the rest of them._ Twilight glanced at the various bat ponies around them who watched their group closely. They stood on the sides of the streets, poked their heads from their windows, and were even hovering a respectful distance from above. Many of them stared with wide eyes, but some were actually smiling in happiness, and a few even had tears. _Does this place really look as awful as_ they _made it out to be?_

Twilight was aware of Ruby recalling her memories of the cave, though the imagery was somewhat hazy at Ruby's reluctance to share them despite the increased connections they had formed on their temporary truce.

 _~They were still right to leave,~_ Ruby eventually said. _~Celestia and Luna get my thanks for not treating them horribly, but that doesn't change the fact that they were prisoners.~_

Ruby's grateful but somehow insulting tone made Twilight want to snarl, but she retained her calm and collected outer appearance. _Well, it looks like things aren't as bad as you thought they'd be. Everypony so far seems to like it here. I guess it's just going to take time before you realize that the things those runaways and Night Walker told you were wrong._

 _~Don't you dare call them that!~_ Ruby threatened. The sudden wave of emotion that Ruby thus far kept buried caused Twilight's steps to falter for a moment, but she quickly recovered from the stumble. Celestia and Luna both gave her a questioning look, and Twilight returned it with a nervous laugh before directing her attention back inward.

 _Will you stop that? It's hard to focus when you freak out like that._

 _~Yeah, yeah, whatever you say. I'll just be quiet and act like nothing's wrong,~_ Ruby replied coldly, but otherwise complied with the request as she withdrew her emotions. _~I'm sure I can keep myself entertained with our_ beautiful _soul while I'm stuck in here. I should be grateful that even though I can't leave your body I can at least look at something pretty, right?~_

Ruby didn't give Twilight a chance to respond as she sunk herself deeper into their being, far enough that Twilight would have had to stop walking and focus just to even reach her. Despite her memories of taking similar actions when she was on the inside, her urge to snarl only rose and she entertained the idea that perhaps she wouldn't care if she did it in front of everyone. But Ruby's words struck a chord with Twilight, and so she quietly fumed as she kept walking, now unable to help but think about Ruby's statement of the town.

 _Dammit, Ruby…_

They soon arrived at the town hall nestled within the very center of Dusktown. Twilight's mental map of Dusktown was coming into focus, and she estimated that it was roughly half the size of Ponyville spacing wise, but was more tightly packed. From what she could recall there weren't more than five-hundred bat ponies who lived within the town at any given time, even before Night Walker managed to lead some away.

She looked to the buildings again, and while they still sparkled in their beauty, she realized that despite the large amount of attention they had received, many of their windows were empty. _Still borns, defects, and early deaths…_

The few snippets of Ruby's memories she could recall about the state of the bat ponies, coupled with Celestia's confirmation, spun in her mind again, and she was finding her initial impression of the town beginning to weaken. _This is still the best choice, isn't it?_ she asked to no one in particular within her sectioned off mind space. _Sure, there are problems, but this is right way to go about things. Night Walker is still wrong… Isn't he?_

It only took a few moments before she shook her head at the thought. The idea that Night Walker might not be evil was short lived, but she felt the dismissal of such a notion should have come more quickly than it had.

With the guards left outside, Twilight and the others entered the building, and they found it was largely hollow on the inside. Monolithic pillars adorned the edges of the room, and between them intricate murals could be seen, each one sharing the story of a legend Twilight did not recognize. Following the pillars upwards with her eyes, she lost her breath at the sight of the night sky above her. _No,_ she thought afterward. _It's a ceiling…_

Indeed, with further examination, she could notice the details of what had to have been the most complex illusion enchantment she had ever seen. The imitated stars were so close to their real life counterparts, but even more easily distinguished, along with subtle extra details that made it appear like a flowing painting. Twilight and the rest of the girls, with the exception of Pinkie Pie, had become lost for a moment as they stared upwards to the magical ceiling, until a gentle cough from Luna brought their eyes back down. There were no seats or tables in the circular space, so they stood arm length apart from one another in a circle, their escorts waiting outside as the Princesses, Twilight's friends, Lunar Pearl, and Grove looked amongst each other.

"I believe a recap for those who are unaware of the details is in order," Luna stated.

Grove nodded as he stepped forward and cleared his throat. "Princess Twilight and friends, as you know, our beloved Dusktown was attacked a few days ago." Everyone was quiet as they listened to the elder's voice, noting that confident and clear tone of his had diminished. "It happened just after sunset when the guards were exchanging places, from pegasi to bat pony, and the day shift unicorns to the night shift ones. It was sudden, but the battle lasted for over an hour. Unfortunately, some of the town was damaged, and we lost ponies…"

How he had ordered their loss caused Twilight's attentive gaze to tighten slightly, a response that only Rarity noticed.

Grove sighed wearily as he closed his eyes. "We tried out best in stopping the invaders, but they were far more dangerous than we had thought." Opening his eyes again, he gave a thankful nod to Luna. "The reinforcement of guards was helpful, but it was not enough to drive them away like we had hoped. Some of them were much stronger than they used to be, but they were nothing compared to that _monster_. In the end, we were unable to persuade those that left with him to change their minds. They have chosen to abandon everything we built here for his dark promises." Grove's voice had become hollow the longer he had spoken, and he ended with a solemn tone. "I still can't help myself but wonder how this came to be. Why they had left…"

Ruby made a 'tsk', alerting Twilight she had brought her consciousness back in order to watch events more clearly. Twilight didn't have any replies for the remark.

"How was Night Walker able to freely speak to Dusktown's residents?" Rarity suddenly asked.

Everyone eyed Rarity in surprise, and Grove looked to her with a confused expression. "I… I'm not entirely sure. He used a strange magic and the unicorns had difficulty countering it. He must have spoken with them while holding our forces at bay."

"What kind of magic? How did he use it?" she pressed.

Grove stared at her for a moment longer, then straightened his posture in realization. "I see… Young lady, you are a descendant of the Gemstones, aren't you?"

There was a pause before Rarity replied, "Yes."

"After we are done I'll arrange for you to speak with our head guard," Grove said. "He will be able to better inform you of the details."

Rarity nodded, but the firm stamp of Celestia's hoof resounded through the building. "No, I'm afraid that will not be possible."

Turning her head to Celestia, Rarity's so far stoic face cracked. "And why not?"

Celestia's flinch at the response had been so subtle and brief that the majority of the room had not even noticed it, for they were far too busy staring at Rarity in disbelief. "Rarity," Celestia said in a calm voice, "I understand how personal this may all seem to you. But it is not my intention to have you, or anypony else here for the matter, become caught up in a war with Night Walker. And while it pains me to say this, you and Twilight must be kept the furthest away."

"Because of my connection to the Gemstones?" Rarity asked.

"Yes."

"Then why did you even bring us here in the first place?"

The question caught Celestia by surprise, and before she could respond, Rarity took another step forward. "If you truly wanted Twilight and I kept away from this situation, you would have never brought us here."

"It was not my intention to drag you into this," Celestia replied in a soft tone. "I only wanted some of your questions be answered and perhaps find some closure."

"Well, I certainly have questions," Rarity said. "Why were there so few ponies here to guard Dusktown? How are the Gemstone's involved with the security? Are you aware of any that may have undergone the Gemstone ritual? Are they still here, or did you have them all removed when it became known some of them had betrayed you?"

"Rarity!" Applejack exclaimed, but Rarity kept her gaze focused on Celestia who appeared pained with each question, and Rarity spoke more firmly with each word.

"Were there even any Gemstones here when Night Walker attacked? What are you doing to ensure he won't be able to repeat all of this again? Why is it that his location could not be found despite leaving Dusktown with an attacking force and taking fifty of its residents with him?"

"Enough!" Luna bellowed as she marched herself to Rarity. "I will not permit you to speak to my sister this way! You may be an Element of Harmony and plagued by the effects of your ancestry, but you will show respect!"

For all her intimidation that was clearly felt by the rest of the room, Rarity stood firm and unwavering as she looked into Luna's eyes. "My apologies, Princess Luna. But I can't help but see the possible shortcomings of your actions. Ponies lives have been put at risk and if I can help it I will put a stop to it."

 **"How dare you,"** Luna echoed as the Canterlot Voice seeped out while she threw her wings open. **"You believe that we are not doing the best that we can? That we would abandon our citizens to Night Walker's shadows?"**

"I believe that he has gotten away with far too much already, and that he must be stopped no matter what the cost," Rarity replied with a rising tone, matching Luna's angered expression with her own.

Luna stared fiercely down at Rarity until she eventually sighed and folded her wings, only slightly easing the tension within the room. "I've heard such words from ponies before," Luna disdainfully replied. "They too believed that there was no cost too high for their actions. Despite their skills, I still believe it was only with luck that any of them survived at all." Though she appeared more composed than before, Luna still radiated an intimidating presence. "I will not speak poorly of the peace the Gemstones created, but neither will I dismiss their thirst for blood and ash that lead so many of them to their death. It pains me to see that same desire within you as well, Rarity."

Rarity's hair rose at the statement, and she lit her horn.

"Rarity!" Twilight shouted as moved towards her, but then froze in place after two steps. Rarity's horn shimmered with considerable magic, far more than Twilight could ever recall Rarity summoning so quickly, and it was now pointed directly at her. There was a fierce cold within Rarity's eyes as she stared at Twilight, and Twilight found herself petrified beneath the gaze.

Dead silence filled the room as Rarity kept her aim steady at Twilight, and when it seemed that the situation might further escalate, Rarity's turned her head, letting the magic drift away harmlessly. Before anypony else could act, Rarity quickly walked towards the door.

Twilight was the first to recover and she began to follow. "R-Rarity!"

"Don't follow me," Rarity replied coldly, halting Twilight in her tracks. "I'm sorry, Twilight, but I'll have to break our promise. There's a lot I have to think about and I can't do it with you nearby." With that, Rarity approached the doors and threw them open, startling the awaiting guards as she left with a brisk pace down the streets.

It took some time for everypony to release the breaths they had held, and with a gentle nudge from Applejack, Fluttershy quickly left to accompany Rarity.

Everypony else stared, mouth agape at the open doors, and the tense silence appeared to have only partially lifted.

"Perhaps she is right," Celestia said quietly.

"Sister, we will discuss this later," Luna said as she came to her side. Celestia looked to Luna with a shaken expression, then nodded as she recollected herself. "Calm yourself," Luna whispered before glancing at Twilight. "Do not let yourself succumb to your worries. Not now."

With a reassuring wing stroke from Luna, Celestia solemnly nodded.

"My apologies," Grove spoke. He wiped his brow with a hoof as he stared at the open doors. "It was my mistake. I thought that perhaps you had brought her to help but it seems… well, forgive me for assuming so."

"C… Can you please explain to me," Twilight managed to say, wiping the few tears that had appeared. It pained her to do so at the chance Rarity might come back, but she reluctantly closed the doors and turned to face Grove. "Please, I have to know what she's going through. I have to find out how close the Gemstones are tied to all of this."

Grove looked to Luna and Celestia for an answer, and was given a nod from Luna. "Very well," he said, followed by another cough to clear his throat. "I'm not sure how much you know, but the Gemstones were initially our guardians when our town was first created. I hadn't had known it was because of our vampirism, but now that I know, I can only be thankful for them."

He straighten his posture as he spoke more clearly. "Fully awakened Gemstones are rare, I myself have only met two in my life before Rarity."

Twilight frowned. "But she isn't awakened." She turned to Celestia. "Right?"

"She isn't, but it is troubling to see how close she appears to be," Celestia replied, looking more herself now. "I don't know why so many of the Hunter's traits are active in her, but I am certain she has not undergone the ritual."

"Can she still be _awakened_ , as you put it, without it?" Twilight asked.

"No, it's magic does not work like that. Though, with everything that has happened, perhaps there is something I missed…"

Twilight turned towards the girls. "Can any of you remember when Rarity starting behaving differently?"

"A… Ah'm not too sure," Applejack replied. She turned to Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, but they didn't appear to have a definitive answer either.

"Well, she did act funny in Fillydelphia," Rainbow Dash said as she ran a hoof their her mane. "But I just thought that was because of what was going on with you, Twilight."

"She did mention that she felt different in that fight," Applejack added. "Back in the yard when Rarity and I tried to help ya, Twalight."

"I remember some of that," Twilight said. "But there has to be something else, right? How could this have just appeared out of nowhere?"

"Maybe it was just slow?" Pinkie Pie said, drawing their eyes. "I mean, it was a little noticeable back in Ponyville, but I thought we were looking for when she got zapped by these Gemstone Gummies or something."

"What was noticeable, Pinkie?" Twilight asked urgently.

"What? Are you saying you all totally didn't see her acting more in charge when Twilight was a kitty vampony?" Their clueless faces answered her. "Come on! She was all like _'Let's find out what's wrong with Twilight'_ and took charge and stuff. She was like a detective."

"She was worried, Pinkie," Applejack said. "Any of us would've done the same."

"But Rarity wouldn't have gotten us together, asked us really hard questions about everything Twilight had done, and went to a dinner party without dressing up," Pinkie Pie replied. "Was I really the only one who didn't think it was weird she didn't dress up for a dinner party?"

The rest of them stared wide-eyed at Pinkie Pie.

"Pinkie," Rainbow Dash said, "How come you can pick up these really, really small details, but can't tell when you're scaring Fluttershy out of her wits sometimes?"

"I have no idea!" Pinkie Pie said smiling.

"It's almost so small as to not even consider, but if that's true," Twilight said, "then this problem has been building ever since this all started. She probably didn't have any idea it was happening until it became worse and worse. And now… now she can barely be anywhere near me…" Twilight and Pinkie Pie frowned at each other until, then Twilight turned to Celestia. "Do… Do you think the Elements of Harmony would help her?"

"I thought I had an idea on how the Elements worked," Celestia replied, "but if they did not remove the vampirism within you, then I can't say anything is certain. They are strange artifacts that Luna and I found near our old home. How old they are or what their full power is, I cannot say."

"That may be something we'll look into at one point," Twilight replied. "But for now, please, Elder Grove, tell us everything else you know."

"O-Of course," he replied, having been caught up in the conversation. "Awakened Gemstones are rare, but I always figured there were a few unawakened ones posted as our guard at all times. These days things are much more relaxed between us and the guard. Long ago the idea of a guard and a bat pony falling in love would have been met with hostility, but these days it is accepted, and we bat ponies are able to join the Royal Guard."

Grove turned to Luna and gave a thankful bow. "Your return, Princess Luna, has resparked much hope for us. Ah, that isn't to say we aren't thankful for everything you have done, Princess Celestia."

"It is alright," Celestia said, smiling for the first time in a while.

"Other than that, there isn't much else to say about the Hunters that I know of," Grove said. "I'm sorry, Princess Twilight."

"Celestia?" Twilight asked, turning to her.

Lines appeared on Celestia's face again, and she lowered her ears. "Rarity is correct in that I recalled the ponies who I knew were affiliated with the Hunters. Their actions in Fillydelphia made it clear I could not be certain of who I could trust, and aside for a few rogue ponies who have yet to be accounted for, their leaders complied with my wishes. They are stationed within Canterlot as the local guard for the time being."

Twilight grit her teeth, and she began pacing back and forth. "Everything is so scattered… Just what are we supposed to do?"

"Twilight," Celestia said, waiting patiently until Twilight looked her in the eye. Celestia stared hard and long at her, the weight of so many things apparent in her gaze. "Please, do not push yourself deeper into this matter."

The gravity of her implication made Twilight straighten, and she felt her breath become tight. She had been doing exactly what Ruby said she would do only days ago. She was trying to solve the problem, to figure out the details of what to do next. She was planning on how she was going to stop all of this, and inevitably, stop Night Walker.

That stallion's chilling laugh and blood red eyes flashed across her mind, and anger and apprehension filled her.

A knock sounded on the doors, causing Twilight to nearly jump at the distraction from her inner thoughts.

"Enter!" Luna shouted.

The door opened and a pale looking bat pony guard stepped inside. "My apologies, Princesses, Elder Grove, and guests, but… There… There's a message for you, Princess Twilight.." He lifted his hoof revealing a rolled parchment held by a single twine. "It just dropped in front of us… It was being carried by a bat and-"

Luna exploded into action, throwing the doors open with abandon as she flew into the night sky with her horn alight. Celestia was only moments behind, all aspects of weakness and uncertainty vanished for the moment as she furiously scanned the night sky. The two sisters blazed with light and shadow as they warily looked about, causing everypony within sight to stare mouth agape.

"P-Princesses!" one of the guards called from below. After ensuring they could detect nothing was waiting for an opening, they peered down and saw one of the other guards holding a tiny bat within his hooves. They quickly landed and Luna marched to the quivering pony and lit her horn as she magically scanned the bat. After a few tense moments she stopped and gave a weary sigh. "Ensure that bat is kept healthy but locked away. It mustn't return to its master," Luna ordered as she and Celestia stepped back inside.

After closing the doors, Luna began pacing back and forth as her wings bristled. "The fiend always manages to do this! Timing his messages with precision and impact! When we capture him he will… he will!" Luna's voice trailed as she mumbled a series of curses. Then reality caught back up with her, and she spun towards Twilight who was already reading the message.

She and Celestia converged on her, both of them resisting the temptation to pull the letter from Twilight's hooves and read for themselves immediately. "What does it say?" Celestia asked urgently.

Twilight was slow to respond, but eventually did so with a quiet and hesitant voice. "Dear Princess Twilight…"

 _"I hope you are recovering from your ordeal without issue. Having your memories kept locked away then returned in such a forceful manner can be dreadfully uncomfortable, but I trust that you've handled the experience quite well. I'm confident enough to say that you have, more or less, regained your strength and are ready to continue where we left off. I can't imagine it will be too much longer before you visit the Sister's beloved Dusktown. Needless to say, it leaves Ponyville rather unprotected."_

 **"Guards!"** Celestia bellowed. Immediately, the guards rushed in, but before she could issue an order, Twilight spoke loudly.

 _"But, rest assured, I won't lay a hoof on Ponyville or its residents."_

Celestia stared at the parchment with a contemplative expression, then turned back to the guards. "Send word to Canterlot. Double the forces within Ponyville, now." They bowed at the command, then rushed forth to complete it.

Everypony waited for Twilight to continue, and she did so after swallowing the lump in her throat.

 _"Twilight, as the many writers of this day and age might say, we have unfinished business, you and I. Prove to me that I was not wrong in choosing you. Show me that you can still be that powerful and unyielding mare that I fashioned. Make me believe that you are indeed a vampony. I will be waiting for you, Twilight, and rest assured, everything will be settled when we meet again for the last time. Signed… Night Walker."_

Visibly shaking, Twilight dropped the letter, and Celestia grabbed it before it even came close to the ground. She and Luna read it over to confirm its contents, and twice more on the possibility of discerning a subtle clue of some sort. Twilight, however, found herself subconsciously walking away from them while staring at the floor with unblinking eyes.

 _What do we do?_

 _~...~_

 _Ruby!_

 _~What!?~_

 _I need help here!_

 _~You think I'm not freaking out as well? Night Walker just challenged us!~_

 _Do… Do we answer it?_

 _~es! No, we might not… Augh! I don't know!~_

Their emotions intermingled nearly to the point of coalescence. Fear, anger, doubt, vengeance, everything Night Walker had instilled into them. Bittersweet memories of his caring facade burned inside them, a shadow of the twisted and shredded soul they had seen within him back in the cave. He was a fragmented pile of connections, having forcibly stripped and reconnected his own essence on uncountable occasions. Whether anything he actually felt or showed was real was questionable, and it only made it worse for Twilight at the mention of how easily he could have attacked Ponyville.

 _No, he's far worse than that…_ she said in a low voice. _He could kill every single stallion, mare, and child without feeling a hint of remorse if he chose to. All he would need to do is shift himself a little more…_

 _~And our bat ponies are with him!~_

Twilight found herself agreeing with her, but paused as she realized what Ruby had said. _You said 'our' bat ponies._

The sensation of surprise from Ruby flowed through Twilight, followed by embarrassment. _~Our connection isn't complete. You must have imagined it.~_

 _Ruby… You can't hide that kind of thing from me._ Ruby didn't respond, but her feelings were fluctuating in a way Twilight hadn't felt for some time, or more accurately, refused to acknowledge. Twilight physically took a deep breath as her own emotions began to waver from what she was about to ask, finally facing the thing she had purposefully put off. With a gulp, she tentatively asked, _Ruby… Please show me your memories._

Ruby's mood was instantly replaced with suspicion. _~Why are you asking for that?~_

 _Please, show me,_ Twilight whispered, pushing all her emotion onto Ruby.

Ruby flinched at the sensations, and she became very quiet as Twilight's feelings washed over her. There was still uncertainty, even fear mingled within it. But its essence was true and honest, and Ruby shivered at finally feeling Twilight open herself towards the bat ponies. It wasn't with Ruby's level of affection, but it was a start, and Ruby choked a bit as an inner wall crumbled.

 _~Alright... Just… Give me a moment.~_

Twilight waited as Ruby prepared, consciously aware as things within her shifted. She did not know how much knowledge of the soul bled over to her from Ruby, but she knew for such an intense share of memories, to feel them as clear as Ruby had, their tattered connection needed to be rebuilt and strengthened. So when Ruby tentatively poked at a point that was Twilight's, Twilight willingly allowed her entrance, and Ruby fastened the various fibers she had pulled together.

Twilight was more than nervous. Ever since she regained herself she had done all she could to distance herself from Ruby, to ensure everything that was in her was only her. But in truth, she had been there with Ruby the whole way. The bat ponies meant the world to Ruby, and though Twilight never interacted with them directly, it did not mean that Twilight hadn't come to know and love them as well. That truth was what she had been afraid to face, so very afraid. And so, now having the courage to face that fear, Twilight let Ruby extend her being onto her.

Slowly, the memories came. One by one they appeared, and to Twilight's surprise, in a much less jarring fashion than her own memories back within in the field. Ruby's memories came and went in a soothing manner, easing from one to another instead of thrusting their way forward. They were pleasant, dreamlike, and they resonated deep within Twilight. These memories were filled with love.

Now and then, an unpleasant memory appeared, but it would quickly leave for another that was much more pleasant. Though they were Ruby's memories and so would fade from Twilight's mind after they came, Twilight would retain her own perception of them. Faces appeared before her, seen from Ruby's eyes. Smiles were given to her, and Twilight felt the phantom sensation of smiling in kind. Emotions and thoughts that were so similar to hers, but weren't at the same time. Happiness, anger, sadness, joy, fear, all so few compared to Twilight's much longer life, but no less vivid. These were real connections made between real ponies, and unlike the invisible observer she used to be who could only grasp and understand what Ruby felt, she now felt them as her own, if only for a moment.

A tear fell down Twilight's cheeks.

Twilight understood then that she and Ruby were the same at their cores. But though that might be, they were now significantly different from each other, and they had changed even more since the night they had split.

They were two ponies within one body now, and though they had no idea how it would all work, they could not help but feel a sense of determination to figure out a way. Ruby was no longer a split personality to Twilight. She was developed far beyond anything that they had seen replicated within Night Walker. How it had come to this, even Ruby did not know despite the days she had been locked within Twilight since their role reversal, spending so much of her time focused and analyzing their split soul. All of that, however, would be put aside. Right now, they could at least agree on one thing. They could focus their soul on a singular goal.

All of this was shared within moments as their mental landscape reappeared again, and Twilight and Ruby met before the mirror. Many of the glass shards had returned to their places, leaving only a few blank spots left they felt confident would return again someday. The mirror would never be the same again, and the cracked lines from the time it had shattered would forever remain apparent and visible. But now, they would try to mend those cracks, hoping that with some luck, they would be able to bring about a connection they never had before.

Twilight placed a hoof onto the mirror, and Ruby did the same, and they met eyes. They would never be this close to another pony, to be able to feel them in such a way and know their heart and thoughts. And while they were still split on certain matters, they were unified on something that was very important to the both of them now.

 _You know that they won't be the only ponies in our lives,_ Twilight said.

 _~I know,~_ Ruby replied quietly. As much as Ruby had shared with Twilight, so had Twilight shared with Ruby. Though, Twilight's memories were substantially larger than Ruby's, more than enough had been shared for Ruby to come to understand Twilight more closely. _~I… I would like to get to know your friends better.~_

Twilight smiled. _I feel the same about yours._

Ruby nodded. ~ _So it's agreed then.~_

 _Yes. We'll rescue the bat ponies. And then..._

 _~And then we kill Night Walker.~_

Twilight gulped, but otherwise remained determined. _Yes. We're going to kill him_.

Ruby smirked, and raised her eyebrow at Twilight. _~I never thought I would see Twilight Sparkle actually wanting to kill somepony.~_

 _Maybe you've have finally rubbed off on me, Ruby Sparkle,_ Twilight replied in a playful but still nervous tone.

Ruby's ears lowered as she spoke solemnly, _~It's only because of you that I became who I am, or even exist at all. We may be different, but some parts of me… some of the_ best _parts of me were from you. Your kindness that I showed to the bat ponies… Your willpower… Everything that I am came from-_ ~

 _Stop,_ Twilight said, closing her eyes as she gently pressed her horn against the mirror. _We're in this together now, and that's enough._

Ruby blinked in surprise, then gave a soft laugh, and closed her eyes as she too placed her horn against the glass. _~Together.~_

"Equestria to Twilight, hello!"

Twilight jumped as she realized Rainbow Dash was practically in her face, hovering only inches away with an annoyed look.

"S-Sorry! I was just lost in thought!" Twilight said as she scrambled backwards. She turned her head around and saw everypony was staring at her curiously.

"Twilight, is everything alright?" Celestia asked.

"Y-Yes, just fine," Twilight stammered before flashing a smile. "I'm okay. Just… Trying to take all of this in."

The fact that she was smiling filled everypony with unease, and they glanced amongst themselves with worry.

"The airship will be departing tomorrow night," Celestia said as she looked to Twilight, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash. "I would like all of you to head back to Canterlot on it."

"Our priority is keeping you safe, Twilight," Luna added. "Despite the reports from the attack confirming your statements that Night Walker is now able to create vamponies without you, I still believe it is for the best to keep you as far away from him as possible. The fact that he has somehow learned to remove our alicorn magic only makes the situation more dire."

"Right…", Twilight said slowly. _It was Shade Flare, wasn't it? Because of us, he's able to make vamponies now._

 _~I remember,~_ Ruby replied slowly. Though, now that she thought about the matter more closely, she remembered she never did learn the reason as to why it was possible.

 _We need to get to the bottom of this, and soon._

 _~I know where we can start.~_

 _Where?_

 _~Mist Hoof and the others. With any luck, they're still waiting for us like Lunar Pearl said.~_ Ruby shared the image of a small glen some distance away from Fillydelphia, the meeting place she and Mist Hoof had decided to use for an escape location during their stay in Skyline Tower.

 _Then we need to get to them quickly once we're done finding out everything we can here. We have until tomorrow night._

 _~Then we better start now.~_

"Twilight?" Celestia asked again, and this time with a more serious tone.

"Yes?"

Celestia gave her a very long and hard stare, causing Twilight's heart rate to rise. Eventually, though, Celestia spoke, "You should get some rest, soon, and rekindle things with Rarity. She needs you as much as you need her."

"Yes, I'll do that," Twilight replied, dropping her ears at the reminder of that situation.

"And for the remainder of your stay, you'll have a constant escort. Even though Luna and I are here, we cannot take any chances. I want to ensure that you arrive in Canterlot safely. I trust that you understand and accept?"

The implied tone of escort and Canterlot were very clear to Twilight, and she nodded in reply. "R-Right."

Celestia gave her one last look, then turned back to Luna and Grove as she joined their conversation.

 _Alright, first problem. Getting out of here once we found out everything we can._

 _~It shouldn't be that hard, right?~_

Twilight quickly recounted the various times she had as a filly attempted to be sneaky around Celestia. Despite all her attempts, whenever her mentor had firmly stated Twilight not to do something foalish, she had always prevented Twilight from ever coming close to her warned objective.

 _~Great. Just how suspicious do you think she's going to be? She has to have at least some trust that we aren't going to do what we're going to do.~_

"Oh, Twilight, one last thing. After we are done here, I would like your assistance in setting a detection barrier. Night Walker has various methods of infiltration, and while he said that he was waiting for you, I can't trust that it isn't a ruse and that he won't come for you before you leave."

"Of course," Twilight replied.

 _~Bat wings.~_

 _This might be harder than I thought it would be._

 _~We'll figure it out,~_ Ruby said dismissively. _~First things first. I want to explore Dusktown, and we're starting with the hospital.~_

 _Are you sure?_

 _~I'm just as apprehensive about it as you are. But we need to see it. They're our ponies now, and we have to take care of them.~_

 _Right,_ Twilight replied, though not without a note of fear at the prospect. _We'll come up with a plan to escape while we explore town._

 _~Then we go for Night Walker.~_

 _... You know this is a stupid idea, right?_

 _~Just as well as you know it.~_

Twilight physically exhaled, then lifted her chest as she excused herself, trying hard not to pay attention to guard ponies that wordlessly followed her and her friends who still cast a suspicious look towards her.


	46. Chapter 46

The soft clamour of clinking vials, hushed voices, and hoofsteps filled the room, drowning out the faint cough that could be heard now and then. The main hospital room was large, large enough to fit a series of desks within the center for the nurses greet visitors and perform various secretarial work. Though it was a busy area, there was plenty space around it for doctor's offices, patient rooms, and hallways leading to other parts of the hospital. The staff moved quietly about with medicine or papers, each busy with their own task as they saw to their patients lying in adjacent rooms. The majority of the staff were bat ponies, but a unicorn or earth pony could be seen now and then as well. Each staff member went about their normal nightly routine, with the exception of peeking from the corner of their eyes towards Twilight.

Ignoring the attention, Twilight took in the inside of the building. Unlike most hospitals Twilight had seen, where one might find white silken sheets acting as walls to an aisle filled with rows of simple beds, the Dusktown hospital "Nightshade" had a room for each patient that was artfully crafted just like any other part of the town. The rooms were fitted into roundish alcoves that could be seen from any position in the main room. And within each room, there was a large window that filled the entire length of the wall to the outside, allowing any patient a clear and unobstructed view of the town. In addition to that, there were also sunroofs placed above each bed to reveal the starry sky above. Both windows and sunroofs also had the feature of a sliding cover, preventing any sunlight from filtering in, allowing those that worked at night to sleep during the day. The rounded alcoves design ensured that no light would disturb a patient within another room.

It appeared to Twilight that the Nightshade Hospital had gone to great lengths to provide an aesthetically pleasing environment for its patients. While it seemed a frivolous notion at first, she soon learned that the other rooms housed the latest machines in the medical industry, bought and supplied by the Sisters themselves, and Twilight reminded herself that Dusktown had had a very long time to build itself up.

With permission from a flustered head nurse, Twilight was allowed to walk about the main room so long as she did not wander into the emergency wings. She visited the nearby patient rooms that she could, curiously glancing within the alcoves as she passed. Each room held a patient, some with two due to being family. Aside from the two pegasi she saw, each patient was a batpony, ranging from young to old. The ones who were awake and not busy reading a book looked back at Twilight curiously, watching as she passed their doorway.

The most memorable room to Twilight was the one occupied by a small colt lying beside his sleeping mother. He looked to Twilight immediately when she approached the doorway, and stared back with wide eyes. Twilight paused in front of this room longer than the others, captivated at the way the colt stared at her in wonder. More than once, Twilight moved her mouth as if to speak, but decided otherwise upon seeing to the sleeping mother, and eventually moved on.

After she had seen each one, she went back to central nurse's desk and gently coughed for the head nurse's attention. "Excuse me, but may I see the files for the patients?"

The nurse was still standing from the first conversation, seemingly refusing to sit down while in Twilight's presence. "P-Patient records are normally confidential, Princess. But I can go ask the doctor-"

"That won't be necessary," an old voice interrupted.

Twilight had heard him approach long before he had spoken, but she had waited courteously for him to speak before turning to him. "Thank you, Elder Grove."

He gave her a wizened smile as he faced her "Anytime, Princess Twilight. It warms my heart that you are so concerned for our patients."

"Of course I'm concerned," Twilight said affectionately. "If there was anything I could do to help I couldn't just stand aside."

Grove's eyes narrowed somewhat at her statement before he wearily sighed. "We've had many ponies come to Dusktown to cure our ailments. Even Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have attempted many times themselves. Still, I'm hopeful that something will be found someday, and I hope that it will be you that finds it, Princess Twilight."

Twilight blushed. "I'll try my best."

The nurse finished collecting the records and handed the stack to Twilight. Thanking her, Twilight and Grove walked away from the desk and towards an empty office that Grove insisted would be alright for them to use. Twilight magically flipped through the pages as she walked, glancing at each patient without looking too closely. Grove's presence was tense but neutral as he walked beside her.

 _~His breathing's changed.~_

 _Hmm? Oh, I didn't notice._

 _~One of the benefits of being us, I guess. The amount of information our brain picks up hasn't changed, just how we analyze it. You can pay attention to one thing, and I can pay attention to another.~_

 _That is really helpful,_ Twilight admitted, still focused on the records even as she spread them out on the desk and sat down to read through them. _What do you think is bothering him?_

 _~I'm not sure. I can't see his face until you look at him. Either way, let's go over these records together.~_

As Twilight and Ruby pored over the documents, Grove sat quietly across from them. They could feel his stare on them, slowly building up the sense of unease Ruby had felt from him. While it never reached a level that was malevolent or even concerning, it was clear something was bothering the older pony.

 _~I'm not sure if it's our new connections or that I've been getting better with Soul Sight, but it's getting easier to pick up other ponies' moods without having to look at them.~_

Really? I haven't noticed it yet.

 _~I'd like to test it sometime, if possible. Once we've taken care of the important things,~_ Ruby commented. _~But back to the records, these symptoms are worrying me.~_

 _Me too,_ Twilight sadly replied. _It looks like what the bat ponies said back in the cave was right._ Twilight magically lifted a few documents in front of her for another look. _This mother has had three stillborns, this filly became blind, and this stallion is suffering severe mental anxiety that doesn't quite match most cases._ Her eyes tightened as she looked at the faces of each patient. _How have the bat ponies even survived this long? This is horrible._

 _~And, of course, there's still no clear understanding of why these problems appear.~_ Ruby watched Twilight peer over the other papers, reading the diagnosis line of each one again. _~Correct me if I'm wrong, but none of these have any normal correlations with each other. You wouldn't find these kinds of issues occurring in other parts of Equestria in this amount, right?~_

 _That's right,_ Twilight replied. While Ruby was aware of the general knowledge of the world that Twilight had, as well as a few bits of the specialized information related to magic, the rest of Twilight's knowledge such as things related to medicine had stayed with Twilight alone. _Which brings us to the next step for our hypothesis._

 _~Soul Sight,~_ Ruby replied. _~Time to find out if we can still do it or not.~_

Twilight nodded, involuntarily emanating a wave of guilt at her actions within the field outside of Fillydelphia. She had shoved all the knowledge and understanding of Soul Sight onto Ruby in her desperate attempts to purge herself. Even though Twilight could learn the skill eventually, it would take time and practice that they simply did not have. But the real worry that bothered them was if Ruby would even be able to use Soul Sight on another pony now that she was deep within Twilight. Ruby had assured Twilight that she had performed many repairs during those first few days, but she wasn't certain if it would allow her to use it to its full extent again.

Physically nodding, Twilight stacked the papers neatly and stood up. "There's something I need to confirm."

Grove stood as well. "Please do."

With that, the two of them exited the office and walked to the nearest room that Twilight and Ruby could recall housing a sleeping patient. Pausing at the doorway, Twilight confirmed the young mare was still asleep, and ever so slightly raising and lowering the blanket with her breathing from her partially open mouth.

"I'll just be a minute," Twilight whispered. Silently entering the room, Twilight came to the mare's side, watching the mare's peaceful expression with a sorrowful face as the notes of her record came to mind. _Paralyses is starting to appear in her limbs, and her emotions are fluctuating between extremes with increasing frequency in what appear to be wild ravings._

Twilight felt Ruby quiver within her, and she instinctively brought a hoof to her chest for comfort. _How are you holding up, Ruby?_

 _~I'm alright,~_ Ruby replied with a shaky voice. _~I can handle this.~_

Twilight tightened her lips at the response, feeling with clarity Ruby's normally strong facade seemingly crumble at the sight of the injured bat ponies. It defeated many of Twilight's previous notions of Ruby before they became close again, and seeing Ruby now become so emotionally vulnerable impacted Twilight deeply. But thanks to their newfound connection, it was easier for Twilight to peer a little deeper into Ruby.

 _You're… You're scared…_

A sniffling sound echoed as Ruby replied, _~...Yeah.~_

Twilight waited for Ruby to respond, but Ruby couldn't form the words to explain it. Instead, and to Twilight's surprise, she thrust her fears onto Twilight, having Twilight experience them as her own.

 _Ruby…_ Twilight said softly, clenching and unclenching her jaw as she sifted through the emotions. _Is that what you're starting to think of yourself as?_

 _~...~_

Twilight summoned the mental landscape, and looked through the mirror with a gentle smile. Sitting hunched over on the other side and with lowered ears, Ruby looked back with a dejected face. _Ruby, you're more than that. The bat ponies are important to you, but they don't define you._

Ruby's chest quivered as she looked up to Twilight. _~But it's true. I said it myself when we were arguing before. The bat ponies are all I have that makes me 'me'.~_ She sniffled and turned away. _~You have so much more than that. I'm still just a shadow of you.~_

Twilight's ears lowered, but she kept her smile as she placed a hoof on the glass. _Come on, you know that isn't true. That's not what the real Ruby would say._

 _~No, it's what the real Ruby never showed you,~_ she stated flatly. ~ _Not while everything was so messed up. I couldn't be vulnerable, even for a moment. Not until I could be sure things would go the right way.~_ Ruby turned her head back to the mirror, and the two of them stared at each other for some time. _~You know that I can tell that smile is fake, right?~_

 _Doesn't mean I'm going to stop,_ Twilight replied, forcibly keeping her tone cheerful. _Look, Ruby. I may not have felt what you're going through on my own, but we're close enough now that I can treat your feelings as if I had. Ruby, you aren't defined by the bat ponies alone. And even if you were, those relationships were made by you. Those are real. And when we do fix them it doesn't mean you are going to be less important or go away. There's more to you than that, and you will_ become _more as you grow._

Twilight leaned her face closer to the mirror. _We're going to be sharing a life now, and who you are as a pony will change as we live it together._

 _~... Really?~_

 _Yes, really,_ Twilight replied gently.

Ruby sniffed once again, then wiped her eyes. _~You know, maybe we should cut back on our connections. I'm not sure I like you being able to tell when I'm weak.~_

 _I know you know that isn't true,_ Twilight sweetly replied. _And it isn't being weak. You're still the toughest vampony I know._

Ruby laughed at that, and it made Twilight happy to see her smiling again. Then, an idea came to her, and she became flustered with excitement and nervousness at its prospect. It was silly. Really, really silly, but she believed it would help Ruby feel better. If it weren't for the fact that she and Ruby were already so close, Twilight would not have ever considered it due to possibly dying on the spot from embarrassment. Even as she pondered the idea, an uncertain frowned appeared on Ruby's face, quickly becoming aware that something was up and would at any moment realize what it was.

Acting quickly, Twilight stood rigidly in front of the mirror, while Ruby looked back at her with a questioning look. Silence passed between them. Then, Twilight opened her mouth, stuck her tongue out, and plopped her face onto the glass.

 _Blauuuuuuaaagh!_

Ruby sat with a frozen expression towards Twilight's undignified face smeared against the glass, her cheeks and tongue pressed as tightly as possible while rolling her eyes and making the strangest noise Ruby had ever heard.

It was only moments before Ruby cracked and she began laughing hysterically. _~By the night! What is wrong with you!?~_ she shouted while pointing a hoof in Twilight's direction. But Twilight remained pressed against the glass, and Ruby's mirth spiraled out of control. Ruby wrapped her hooves to her sides as she bellowed in laughter. _~That. Is. The. Funniest. Thing. Ever! You- You look ridiculous!~_

Unable to take it anymore, Twilight's cheeks turned red and she quickly pulled away, immediately switching her goofy expression for a look of annoyance and shame.

 _~Look! You smeared the glass! It's all foggy now and covered in your saliva! Hahaa!~_

Flustered, Twilight began wiping the glass with her arm. _Look… I… I just thought it'd make you feel better!_

 _~And it did! By the night it did!~_ Ruby cried, now starting to wipe her eyes from the tears that appeared.

Twilight's cheeks became even redder as she wiped more furiously. _C-Come on! It wasn't that funny!_

 _~Yes, it was! Princess Twilight Sparkle herself just smacked her face onto glass and made_ the _silliest face I've ever seen! Oh, this is gold! Twilight Sparkle of all ponies! Oh, I'm going to remember that forever!~_

 _It wasn't that funny!_ Twilight huffed, but Ruby continued laughing.

By the time Twilight had cleaned the mirror, Ruby was starting to collect herself again, still wearing a silly grin. Twilight made sure that her embarrassment was clearly felt in hope that Ruby would calm down more quickly, but Ruby made it known that she didn't care about that at all. It was simply the funniest thing she had experienced during her entire existence. Even when Twilight protested by revealing the source of the inspiration to show it wasn't her idea alone, Ruby only laughed more. _~I- I think Pinkie Pie's slowly rubbing off on you.~_

 _And maybe Rainbow Dash rubbed off on you!_ Twilight said in annoyance as she shot glares through the mirror.

 _~The pegasus, right? No, don't show me. I remember her.~_ Ruby took a deep breath as she calmed down. _~You know, she'd be a pretty good vampony now that I think about it.~_

 _Don't think about it,_ Twilight seriously replied.

 _~What?~_ Ruby playfully replied, knowing the limits she could push the issue from Twilight's emotional stance on the matter. _~She's tough from what I remember. If it wasn't for her the Hunters would have had us surrounded back at the...~_

Memories passed through them both, of Rainbow Dash chasing Night Walker through the sky, and inevitably, her diving down into the city lights below.

 _~I'm sorry,~_ Ruby quickly replied, all traces of humor vanishing within a moment. She stood up and moved towards mirror. _~I didn't mean to bring that up. Thank you for cheering me up, Twilight.~_

Were it not for the ability to share their feelings so clearly and quickly, Twilight would have remained angry at Ruby. But they each could feel the other as if it were themselves if they choose to, and they agreed leave the matter aside as more important and immediate things came back to mind.

 _Back to work then._

Twilight's attention shifted back to the mare in front of her, and she took a breath. _Ready?_

 _~Ready.~_

Twilight closed her eyes, and she lingered in the back as Ruby extended her consciousness forward. Slowly, Twilight's eyes became pure white, and at Ruby's request, she opened them slightly. She and Ruby could barely see the mare in front of her, but over time, the figure on the bed began to blur from existence as their combined focus narrowed in, and the familiar orb-like structure of the mare's soul appeared.

 _~It's different than before,~_ Ruby commented. _~But it looks like we can still do it. I'm not sure how well we can affect it, but for now we can observe, though not as deeply as we could before.~_

 _Okay, guide us in._

Twilight watched pensively as Ruby directed their focus inward, bringing their vision and awareness of the soul into greater detail. The experience was like stepping into a building, bringing its components and fibers all around you as if they were the walls and ceiling. But even as Twilight began to consider the notion, she and Ruby felt a pop within them, and they inadvertently found themselves within the mirrorscape once again, but much different than before.

The mirror was still there, but within both sides of the reflection, the normally dark and blank landscape that surrounded them was replaced with the bridges of light that was the sleeping mare's soul, and the normally featureless, colorless ground was now a platform of white light. Twilight and Ruby gasped at the scenery around them.

 _What is this?_

 _~I… I don't know,~_ Ruby whispered.

The mare's soul was no longer some object to be observed in a limited and distant perspective, such as if they were an outsider looking through a window. Now they were within it as if it was a building itself, bringing a whole new perspective to the soul, and to Ruby's surprise, she saw details in a way she had never seen before.

 _~This is incredible,~_ Ruby said as she stepped away from the mirror. _~Look how how this section is made. I didn't even notice these pieces.~_

Ruby became lost at the sight of the crystalline expanse of a particular fiber that she picked out from the webwork around her, and at the inclination for a closer look, the entire room shifted. She and the mirror remained in place as her surroundings warped, becoming larger and larger as the section of fiber grew and drifted closer to Ruby. She remained frozen as the world around her moved, but she felt no motion herself. Within moments, the section of fiber sat in front of her and was now the size of an airship, revealing all its details in a way Ruby had never thought possible.

Wordlessly, she marveled at the bits of light that she could see travelling through the fiber-like bridge, unaware that Twilight had been calling her name for some time.

 _Ruby! Ruby come back!_

 _~Twilight?~_ Turning to the mirror, she saw that Twilight's reflection wasn't there, and a sense of panic filled her. _~Twilight!~_

Running back to the mirror, Ruby frantically peered through at different angles, but was unable to see Twilight. She consciously reached out for her, but she couldn't detect her feelings.

 _Ruby! Where are you?_

Ruby's ears flicked at the noise. _~I'm here! I'm in front of the mirror!~_

 _I don't see you!_

 _~H-Hold on!~_

Steadying herself as she controlled her breathing, Ruby stared at the mirror with a fearful expression. _~Take me back. Take me back to Twilight. Return to where I was.~_ Verbally commanding herself as she willed her Soul Sight forward, Ruby saw out of the corner of her eyes the landscape shifting again, becoming smaller as she drew away from the fiber bridge. As the seconds passed, Ruby held her breath, waiting for something to appear within the mirror.

 _Ruby!?_

Ruby grit her teeth, and she willed it to go faster. Then, with a resounding snap, she felt herself come to a standstill, and Twilight's reflection was in front of her again.

 _Ruby!_ Twilight shouted as she placed her hooves onto the mirror.

Ruby sighed in relief, placing her own hooves on it as well. The familiar sensation of Twilight's emotions flooding through her, as panicked as they were, calmed Ruby somewhat. _~That was close.~_

 _What happened? Where did you go?_ Twilight asked frantically.

 _~I don't know. I saw a section I wanted to look at and then I… I just found myself closer to it.~_

 _I felt it happen, and when I looked back to the mirror you were gone!_ Twilight replied. _What's going on?_

Ruby stared apprehensively to the surrounding landscape with greater suspicion than before. _~If I had to guess, we've somehow made our imaginary world merge with the mare's soul. Or it's just a reflection of it. I don't know, this is beyond anything I've learned.~_ Ruby glanced around one more time before she shook her head and kept her eyes focused on Twilight. _~We need to be careful. I have no idea what would happen if one of us got lost in here. We should leave for now.~_

 _But what about the mare?_

 _~I got a good enough look to confirm the cause. It's much worse than what I've seen in others. Her soul is littered with holes.~_ Pointing her hoof behind Twilight's shoulder, she said, _~Keep the mirror firm in your mind as you look.~_

Doing as she suggested, Twilight kept the mirrors presence at the forefront of her mind, and she carefully looked behind her, spotting the piece Ruby was talking about. It was one of the components of the soul which the fibers connected to, though she didn't know what it was. To her, it simply appeared as sphere like structure covered in purposely designed ridges and bumps, and it was connected by five different fiber like bridges. But the most immediate detail that came to her was the rot-like holes that were scattered over it. Staring at them, Twilight couldn't help but feel a sense of unease, or rather, wrongness. Even some of the nearby the fibers that connected to it looked as if strips were missing, appearing thinner than the rest.

 _~See the patches?~_

Twilight looked closer, and she saw holes that she hadn't noticed at first for they blended into the sphere naturally. But they weren't natural, she realized. The covered holes glowed with a strange magic that shifted colors, appearing for one moment as gold before seamlessly transitioning to a dark blue. It was as if her eyes simply couldn't decide exactly which color it really was.

 _~That is Celestia and Luna's alicorn magic.~_ Twilight could feel Ruby's anger begin to boil, but before Twilight could address it, it simmered down, though it did not entirely vanish. _~They tried to fix what they could after they removed the vampirism. I don't know how long it took them before the vampirism stopped appearing in ponies, but they looked like they never came close to a full fix. The fact that they even managed this much without Soul Sight amazes me.~_

 _It is impressive,_ Twilight replied before turning back to Ruby, worried that the small tremor she felt from staring at the patched section would cause her to zoom towards it.

 _~It's also dangerous,~_ Ruby replied in a serious tone. _~They were working blind. Seeing this now that I've learned more, I don't even know if I could fix them with Soul Sight and alicorn magic alone.~_

The implication was clear to Twilight. _So… They need to become vamponies._

Ruby nodded. _~The vampirism is the only thing I've seen that can fix this. The fact that some bat ponies are still born with small traces of it shows how resilient it is. It's possible those the few that are born with it may not experience any symptoms like this. Though, that's just a guess. We should confirm with the nurses if there ever has been one.~_

Twilight nodded in agreement, then took one last hesitant look at the landscape, noting that there were far more patched and rotted sections now that she was able to recognize it. _So it really has come to this… We need to make them vamponies if we want to help them…_

 _~You okay?~_

Twilight didn't respond at first, and though Ruby had an idea of what she might say, she waited patiently for Twilight to find the words herself. _Yeah… I think so. It's just a lot to take in. I feel like so much has changed over these last few days._

Twilight stared out at the landscape for some moments more, trying to imagine how the red vampirism would appear on the endless spheres and fibers before turning back to Ruby. _Before we change anyone, however, I want to know more about it. We need to look over Mist Hoof._

 _~I agree,~_ Ruby said. _~We need to know exactly what we're dealing with.~_

Twilight smiled. _Did I mention that it's so nice to work with another pony that gets it?_

 _~Did I mention that I'll never be able to forget that face you made, or the fact that you missed a spot of drool over here?~_

Ruby laughed as Twilight furiously wiped the lower section of the mirror, enjoying the beet red on her face despite Twilight's attempts to hide it beneath her bangs.

 _~Let's head out.~_

Eventually, the room came back to Twilight's vision, and she blinked at regaining her physical senses. The space they had been felt much different than when Twilight was inside during Ruby's control, and leaving it left lingering tingles. _That... was jarring._

Also affected, Ruby tested her internal reach about their soul, similar to how Twilight flexed her muscles to ensure everything still worked. _~No kidding.~_

Shaking her head and testing the weight of her real hooves, Twilight looked at the sleeping mare one last time, feeling her heart cry out at her peaceful face. Having read the report, she and Ruby knew that when the mare woke up again, she would most likely fall into a fit of anxiety that was beyond her control, unable to move her limbs to even show it.

"Hold on just a little longer," Twilight whispered.

With one last heartfelt glance, Twilight left the room and made her way back into the empty office, half aware of Grove following her from behind. As they both sat down in their chairs, Grove still held his passive but guarded look, and he finally spoke, "What do you think?"

Twilight sighed as she ran a hoof through her mane. "I think they're severely ill, and that any more attempts to help them might only worsen their situation."

"Unfortunately, it's all we can do," Grove replied.

"Maybe not," Twilight replied. "There may be another way if I-"

"No," Grove stated flatly.

Twilight looked to him in surprise, and saw his eyes narrowed with a fierce expression. "I know I am stepping out of place when I say this, Princess Twilight, but I will not allow my kind fall backwards. If you are suggesting that they be turned, then I asked that you please forget the matter entirely and leave Dusktown."

Twilight stared dumbfounded at Grove for some moments, then felt a rising fury in her chest. Her wings twitched at Ruby's mood, and she quickly spoke before it could worsen. "But if they can be cured then shouldn't we-"

"That is no cure!" Grove hissed. The determination in his eyes made Twilight flinch, and it settled Ruby's for a moment, but she remained boiling as she listened intently. "I will not allow Dusktown to become stained with the blood of vamponies. There is no hope down that road no matter how promising it may seem. We must keep moving forward and continue searching for another cure."

There were a hundred questions Twilight wanted to ask, a hundred statements Ruby wanted to scream. "But…" Twilight said, trying to collect her thoughts from her and Ruby's confusion at how sour the conversation had become. "But what if there is no other cure?"

Grove was quiet for some moments, but eventually replied, "Then we will live out our lives the best that we can, while we can."

Twilight was speechless, and she found her own anger beginning to rise with Ruby's already blazing pyre. "How can you say that?" Twilight said, exposed her fangs as she placed her hooves on the table.

"Because I know what would happen if did abandon the grace we've been fortunate to be placed in," Grove casually replied.

"So tell me, what would happen?" Twilight ask, trying not to growl at the same time.

"Blood would be spilt, and not willingly," Grove answered. His old voice lowered in tone as he spoke, "Do you know how long it took before vampirism was cleared from my ancestors? Three hundred years. Three hundred years before the first pony could even be born. Since then, we've had a slow and painful transformation into the ponies we've now become. It was hard work. But not everypony believed that it was right. Some fought against it even after they had promised their fealty to the Sisters."

Without flinching at Twilight's furrowed gaze he continued, "Do you know how many rebellions were caused since Dusktown was first settled? More than once some vampony or even batpony later on challenged the rulings. They raised supporters and fought the guards for their freedom. They killed other ponies for it. But each time they were defeated, each time they were fought back by both the guards and bat ponies alike, because others knew it was wrong. Some ponies will always crave their freedom no matter the cost, and they've always brought ruin because of it." Grove's eyes became tighter and his voice became stronger as he continued. "Ponies have been slaughtered in their beds simply for speaking out against our status, murdered by the fearful and panicked guards that saw only monsters inside this town, something that thankfully doesn't happen anymore. It takes years for everything to settle in Dusktown once a revolt occurs. But despite that cost, some batpony always thinks it's wise for them to rise up and challenge everything, throwing everypony else back into fire and chaos again. The fact that no rebellions have happened for the last two hundred years before this week is a miracle in itself! We've been able to focus on building instead of destroying. We've made more progress with our efforts in finding a cure than ever before."

"I can't believe you would say that," Twilight said, straining to contain her voice from both her and Ruby's feelings. "How can you honestly believe this town is more important than the lives of every crippled, dying, and stillborn batpony in it?"

"I don't expect you to understand me entirely, Princess Twilight," Grove replied. "I must seem like an old fool who's wrapped in his own beliefs and simply must have never thought about the other side of the matter."

Twilight didn't respond.

"But I have thought about it. Oh, I have," Grove said, his voice becoming faint as he recalled his past. "I've spent a great deal of time considering it. I won't lie that when I was younger I too dreamed of flying away from these walls to the rest of Equestria. But time and reason helped me realize that isn't the way we must go about it. If I want my kind to survive, it needs to be with careful consideration and _without_ violence."

"So you'd rather die here than fighting for what you believe in?" Twilight asked. Though, on reflection, she realized she had asked what Ruby was thinking about. Being so emotionally close on the matter made it easier for them to share each other's actions and responses.

"I would rather go down the path that I believe is right," Grove calmly replied. "Princess Luna has returned, and we are better off than we've ever been before. Bat ponies are now able to join the guard who no longer look upon us with fear. We are accepted now. That alone was considered impossible hundreds of years ago. And now that the Hunters have attacked outright, something I am sorry you had to suffer through, their position has been weakened."

Grove smiled at Twilight's shocked reaction, and he spoke more confidently. "Not all Hunters are bad, Princess Twilight. I know this first hoof. But there are still some who refuse to let go of the past. Now that their influence has been weakened, it will allow us to move towards the future more easily. Eventually, bat ponies will be able to leave Dusktown, and it will be by peaceful means. It may not happen in my lifetime, but it will happen. You may think we won't survive without vampirism, but I still believe that a cure will be found. Research into magic and science has been increasing at a rapid pace even within my generation. You yourself have contributed so much to it already before this terrible tragedy befell you! Equestria is becoming better and better by the year."

Twilight and Ruby had both calmed considerably, but their anger still simmered beneath as they listened.

"There is no clear path to right and wrong, Princess Twilight," Grove said, and his voice became weary and quiet again. "But I will not sacrifice everything we've created here, everything we've worked for, for a quick and simple gain. Our freedom will be earned by vigilance, and it will be without blood."

Silence filled the room as they stared back at one another. Twilight's wings were flared out and quivering slightly, and Grove remained steady against her glare. Then, feeling enough had been said, Grove stood up and moved to the doorway. "I believe with some time, you would be able to find an alternative, Princess Twilight. Please forgive for me speaking my mind and so rudely, but I must make it clear to you how serious this matter is for me." He paused at the entrance and looked back to her. "I only want the best for our kind in the way that I believe is right. I can only hope that you will agree with me in time."

When it was clear Twilight was not going to respond, he continued out, but then halted as a thought crossed his mind and he hesitantly he looked back. "Princess Twilight?"

"Yes?" Twilight replied and without a note of friendliness.

"I apologize for asking this, especially after our heated conversation, but do you remember much of when you were with Night Walker?"

"Yes, I do. Why do you ask?"

Grove opened and closed his mouth a few times, uncertain of whether he should ask or not. "Did… Did you happen to meet a pony called Mist Hoof?"

Twilight raised her eyebrows, then lowered them as she looked to him with suspicion. "Yes, I know him."

"Is he still alive?"

"Yes," Twilight said slowly. "He's a vampony now, too."

Grove's eyes shot open, and he stared open mouthed at Twilight, speechless at her reply. After some moments, though, he shut his mouth and quickly left without another word.

Twilight stared at the doorway for some time, waiting for herself and Ruby to calm down as they reviewed what had just happened. Then, with a sudden thought, Twilight stood up and walked to the nurse's desk. Shortly after her request, two files appeared before her, and she flipped them open. It took only seconds to scan them both over, and realization struck her hard.

 _Grove is Mist Hoof's older brother..._

Twilight swallowed the lump in her throat. She had no way of knowing for certain, but the image of how she thought the two of them were when they were young appeared in her mind. Two rambunctious colts fighting for a world they believed in together, two stallions whose opinions changed with time from another, and finally, two bitter elders who believed in entirely different ideals.

Some part of her felt the revelation should not have impacted her so much, but she could not shake the effects it had on her. Among other things, it all seemed terribly sad.

 _~We're done here, Twilight~,_ Ruby quietly said. Her voice sounded empty, and Twilight didn't even have to try to feel Ruby's own similar but deeper feelings on the matter. Despite their shared connections, this was a matter in which Twilight felt it would be better to give Ruby privacy until she was willing to share. _~The best way we can help him, help all of them, is by figuring this all out.~_

 _Right..._ Twilight quietly replied as she returned the records.

Thanking the nurses for their help, Twilight left the hospital. Outside, the guards remained in their standing positions, along with Applejack and Rainbow Dash who sat nearby and yawned tiredly.

"Where's Pinkie Pie and Lunar Pearl?" Twilight asked as she approached them.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash stretched their limbs as they stood up. "She went to take Lunar Pearl home," Applejack replied as she rubbed her temple. "The little filly doesn't have anyone to watch over her for the time being, so Pinkie Pie's going to stay with her until they can find a friend or somepony to take care of her."

Twilight's ears lowered. "I can only imagine how hard this is for her. Her sister is still with Night Walker and probably worried out of her mind at where Lunar Pearl is..."

"Then all we need to do is kick his flank and get everything back to normal," Rainbow Dash replied, finding some energy despite her tiredness. The guards, however, shot each of them a firm look. "I mean, when Celestia and Luna kick his flank things will be back to normal." Rainbow Dash gave a wide grin to the guards, and though it was apparent they still were now on higher alert, they turned their eyes back to the surroundings, holding onto their spears a little tighter.

 _~Great. The last thing we need is to have her get them riled up even more.~_

"Any sign of Rarity, yet?" Twilight asked.

Applejack shook her head. "Nothing yet. Wanna go look for her?"

"Yeah…" Twilight replied solemnly. "I need to talk to her. Did you two want to head back to the rooms?"

"Nah, Ah'll be fine for a little longer," Applejack said with a tired smile. Rainbow Dash did the same, and even started to hover to show she was still raring to go.

Twilight gave them a thankful smile, and then the three of them began walking down the street, flanked by guards at every moment. The amount of stares Twilight received hadn't lessened since her arrival, but she ignored it in favor of the matter at hoof.

* * *

"There she is," Rainbow Dash said in an annoyed tone. She had stopped hovering sometime ago, and now was a walking zombie with bags under her eyes that refused to leave. "Aj and I will be right here. You-" she paused to yawn. "You… Just go talk to her. We'll be riiiiiight here, by this comfy bench."

Twilight gave a small smirk at Rainbow Dash and Applejack's apparent tiredness, then hesitantly continued forward. Rarity and Fluttershy were at the edge of town, sitting on a bench next to a trail that provided a scenic view of the surrounding Unicorn Range.

Twilight kept her ears perked as she approached, but Rarity's voice became quiet within moments of Twilight entering her sense's considerable range.

 _~That still unnerves me.~_

 _At how easily she notices us?_

 _~Yes, and how close she always pays attention. You've haven't noticed it every time, but she's always focused on us whenever we're near.~_

Twilight looked at Rarity sadly as she slowed her pace. _How do you feel about her?_

 _~I'm annoyed at how much she wants me gone,~_ Ruby replied. However, her resentful tone softened as she continued. _~But she's your friend, and she means a lot to you. If she's willing to try, then I guess I am too.~_

 _What about her being a hunter?_

 _~I'm still iffy on it. From what I've gathered, she's not a normal Hunter. The innate magic is incredible more active than it should be, and it's obviously affecting her negatively. To be honest, I'm not sure if the Elements would help her either. Heck, they might make things worse.~_

Twilight stopped, keeping her eyes focused on Rarity as she idly listened to Fluttershy speak. Though her hearing had significantly increased, Fluttershy still spoke too quietly for Twilight to make out at this distance. What do you mean?

 _~I'd need to use Soul Sight on her to confirm anything, but her issues appeared around the time Night Walker came to town and you became a thrall. And then they became much worse once you were taken.~_

 _Yeah, I'm still confused as to what a thrall is._

 _~Later. When the Elements were used on you, it purified- no that's not the right word…. balanced, maybe? Either way, it did something to the vampirism in you. If it affected you, then there's no telling what it did to Rarity that night as well.~_

Twilight vividly recalled the night her friends gathered at her house. The meal they shared, the ensuing conversation about Twilight's condition, how they used the Elements and Twilight's first glimpse of Soul Sight, and with a shudder, Night Walker appearing later in the evening with the amulet.

 _So you think that the Elements made it worse for her?_

 _~I don't know what the Elements did, but from what we know now, they don't work like we initially thought. Well, I guess how you initially thought. They're still new to me. But the fact is that they use Soul Resonance, Twilight. Even I barely know anything about that. And given that the Elements somewhat work off the souls of six ponies for a singular purpose means they could potentially have any effect.~_

 _And because of that we don't have any idea of what they-_

Twilight stopped.

The revelation hit her like one of Blueblood's automobiles.

It couldn't be that simple, especially when it hadn't worked for her.

She couldn't know for sure it was true, but the possibility was there.

In retrospect, it all seemed so obvious.

 _~Will you stop having abstract thoughts and just say it in words?~_ Ruby complained.

 _Ruby,_ Twilight said calmly, though her rising heart rate and emotions showed otherwise. The Elements work off the singular goal of the bearers. Our goal was to get rid of my vampirism. Rarity had her Hunter aspect dormant within her…

 _~...Sweet Celestia...~_

 _..._

 _~Don't you dare tell anypony I used her name.~_

Twilight's heart was pounding in her chest, and she ran towards Rarity and Fluttershy at full speed. Despite Fluttershy's squeak at her sudden approach and Rarity's horn alighting and pointing at her, Twilight only stopped until she was in front of Rarity and stared at her with wide eyes. Rarity held a guard but curious look, slowly raising her horn away from Twilight.

"Rarity!" Twilight shouted.

Rarity blinked in confusion as she fully raised her head, and even stepped closer. "Twilight? What's wrong?"

"It's just a guess, but I think I know what happened with you," Twilight said without breathing.

Rarity pulled her head back as she looked at Twilight's bristling appearance, and she frowned as she would at a muddy filly wanting to hug her. "Eh... And what do you think happened?"

"The Elements!" Twilight simply exclaimed.

Rarity and Fluttershy shared an equally confused and concerned expression. "I'm… not sure that I follow, dear."

"The Elements work off Soul Magic!"

"... And?"

"It's all so clear!"

A moaning wind through passed Dusktown, gently whipping the manes of two concerned looking ponies and one overly frantic alicorn.

 _~You know, looking back at your memories, I'm amazed at how many times this has happened and that you've never learned from it.~_

"Wha- Hahhuuaaahhh… What's goin' on?" Applejack sleepily replied as she and Rainbow Dash walked up with the guards in tow. "Ah heard somepony shouting. Everything alright?"

"Twilight seems to be… Well, acting like Twilight again," Rarity replied.

Before Applejack and Rainbow Dash could asked, Twilight whipped her head to them. "Don't you see? It's the Elements! It explains everything!"

All hints of sleeping vanished from Applejack and Rainbow Dash's mind at the sight of Twilight's wide and excited eyes.

 _~I'm going to have to go inside and fix you, aren't I?~_

"We tried using the Elements of Harmony to get rid of my vampirism, right?" The collective nods answered her. "But the Elements didn't remove it. It affected it, but it didn't remove it. I'm still trying to work that part out. But we were still focused on trying to get rid of it." Twilight whipped her whole body towards Rarity. "You have latent Hunter magic inside of you! The same magic that compels ponies to hunt undead!"

"Twilight," Rarity replied, "I'm not so sure that I- Oh my stars…"

"Right?"

The revelation hit Rarity like a last minute order of a hundred dresses requested to be delivered to Sapphire Shores within two days. "Is it really that simple?"

"I don't know, but it's my best guess," Twilight fervently replied.

Rarity held a shocked look as she turned away and walked closer to the cliff edge, absentmindedly staring at the ground as the information ran through her head. "The Elements… They could be responsible… Which means that… And I… What if… What about…"

Everypony watched Rarity quietly converse with herself, each of them now coming to terms at Twilight's implications. Twilight, however, was looking at Rarity with a raised eyebrow. "Do I act like that when I talk to myself?"

"Eeyup," Applejack replied.

 _Note to self, stop thinking aloud._

 _~Noted.~_

Rarity then raised her head as she looked out to the Unicorn Range, contemplating something for a moment, then turned to Twilight. "We have to confirm this."

"Yes, we do," Twilight agreed.

 _~Night Walker?~_

"... Just as soon as we can."

The other girls seemed relieved at the news and were already smiling to another, hopeful at the prospect of having Rarity's issued solved. But Rarity look at Twilight with a stoic expression, having caught many subtle notes in Twilight's reply.

"Yes, when we get back to Ponyville," Rarity said slowly.

"Right," Twilight replied, doing her best to keep her voice level. "When we get back to Ponyville."

"Well, that settles everything," Rainbow Dash said as she stretched her legs. "Now let's call it a night and hit the sack. The sun's gonna come up anytime now and Dash needs her sleep."

Rarity kept a her gaze focused on Twilight, and she just about to open her mouth before a guard stepped forward. "Princess Twilight. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna requested that you stop by the town hall before you retire for the night."

"Right, the detection barrier," Twilight quickly said as she turned away from Rarity. "Yup, let's go take care of that then go to bed."

The rest of the girls murmured in agreement, and all began to wearily follow the guards back into town. Rarity, however, remained wide awake as she trailed at the back, noting the details that came to her mind despite her inner cry for sleep. Things such as how Twilight stayed near the front, at how her legs ever so subtly stepped onto the ground more rigidly than usual, and how her head remained fixed forward at all times.

 _~Calm down, will ya?~_

 _I can't help it_ , Twilight replied nervously. _I can feel her staring at us._

 _~So can I, and she's only going to become more suspicious the more unusual we act.~_

 _This is going to be hard, isn't it?_

 _~We're only trying to stealthily escape a town that has been guarded for hundreds of years with the addition of the Sisters personally overseeing its defenses and while under the watch of a Hunter that may or may not have been awaken by the most powerful items in Equestria for the singular goal of getting rid of us. How hard could it be?~_

Is it me, or have you become sassier?

 _~I'm going through an identity crisis, thank you very much. Since I'll be spending the rest of forever inside of you, I might as well play around with my section of the soul and try out different aspects of myself. I'm going to need something to pass the time when I'm not focused on the outside.~_

 _Great,_ Twilight grumbled.

As they walked in dread of the situation, a sudden thought came to Ruby, and the thick mood cleared from her. _~Actually, this is going to be easier than I thought.~_

 _What do you mean?_

 _~We need to go to Fillydelphia which is in the east, and on the other side of Equestria from where we are now.~_

 _And?_ Twilight asked, though she was already beginning to understand what Ruby was leading towards.

 _~It's a long flight by wing, but we can do half of it by ship. Once we get to Canterlot we'll just sneak away and continue on.~_

 _That… makes a lot of sense,_ Twilight replied, impressed at the idea and wondering how she hadn't thought of it first. Smugness emanated from Ruby. _We don't have to lie to Celestia or worry about how we would even escape from here._

 _~She didn't say if she would come to Canterlot with us, so we should still plan as if we we're trying to evade her.~_

Twilight physically nodded, then berated herself as she felt Rarity's gaze intensify on her.

 _~We still need to deal with that, though,~_ Ruby said, sharing in Twilight's shiver at the uncomfortable sensation.

 _To be honest, I'm still unsure of what to do about my friends._

Twilight pushed her emotions forward, and Ruby contemplated what she felt. _~You're can't decide if we should ask them to come with us, or go without them.~_

 _..._

Ruby thought about it for some time as they walked, looking over Twilight's worrying mind as memories revealed themselves from her conflict. Twilight had already tried handling things on her own before, and it hadn't turned out well when she did. When Ruby thought about it more herself, she hadn't been so fortunate on her either. If it wasn't for Mist Hoof and the others, Ruby would have been doomed in the airship yard. Though they would never be truly alone again, physically, they were still just one pony.

Ruby sighed. _~As much as I want to figure it out as well, we should probably sleep on it. Let's just get this barrier set up and go to bed.~_

 _Are you sure?_

 _~Trust me, I'm just as tempted as you are. The difference is that I'm in here where it's easier to see what would happen if we stressed out about it.~_

 _But-_

 _~Twilight, we're sleeping on it. You focus on the outside world, and I'll focus on the inside one.~_

 _Okay, if you say so,_ Twilight replied timidly. _We do still have time, I guess..._

When Twilight reached the town hall, the purple hue of dawn began to color the sky.


	47. Chapter 47

_Ready?_

Apprehension emanated from Ruby, but she refuse to let it sway her. _~Yeah, let's do it.~_

Twilight readied herself, and then rapped the door with her hoof. She waited for some time, and when she heard no response, she raised her hoof to knock again.

 _~She isn't going to answer. Just go in.~_

 _But if she wants to be left alone, shouldn't we-_

 _~I'm not getting on that airship until we see her.~_

Twilight fidgeted in place at the reminder that they'd leave Dusktown within the hour, hating the notion of being late among all things. But she and Ruby had put aside this event for too long, and it was more important than not being late when it came down to it.

Twilight sighed. _Alright, I'm going in._

Hesitantly, Twilight opened the door and closed it behind her as she entered into the sparse bedroom. Right away she spotted Lunar Pearl curled on top of the bed with her head facing the wall, away from Twilight. Twilight had ensured she had been loud enough to announce her presence, but Lunar Pearl didn't acknowledge her in the slightest. Twilight feared that she might have caught her sleeping, but the faint rise in Lunar Pearl's heart rate told her she was awake and aware of Twilight's presence.

"H-Hello, Lunar Pearl," Twilight said sweetly. When Lunar Pearl still did not respond, Twilight walked to her and sat on the edge of the mattress. "I hope it's okay that I came in. I wanted- I mean, _we_ wanted to see you before I left."

Twilight craned her head to see Lunar Pearl's face, barely been able to see her face covered by her arms and tail. Even then, Lunar Pearl kept her eyes locked on the adjacent wall. Aside for the slight furrow of her eyebrows, her expression was neutral.

Twilight's ears folded back from worry. _I don't know what to say..._

It was some moments before Ruby spoke. _~Just… Say what I say.~_

Twilight felt uneasy speaking for Ruby in such a personal matter, but it was too important to Ruby to deny the request. Twilight would oblige for now, but she mentally memoed herself that at some point they need to figure out if it was possible for Ruby to speak as if she was in control of their body again. Twilight furrowed her brow as she concentrated internally, doing her best to relay Ruby's words as soon as they were mentally spoken.

"Hey, Lunar Pearl. It's Ruby."

Lunar Pearl's tail flicked, and she briefly glanced at Twilight before turning her gaze back to the wall.

"I'm sorry that I haven't spent time with you, especially after how hard you worked to find me. A lot has been happening to me, but a lot has been for you too. Being away from your sister, learning about who and what I really am, coming back to Dusktown… I can only imagine how hard all of this has been for you. And I'm only going to make it harder by leaving you again."

Twilight's paused momentarily at the bluntness in Ruby's words, but she nonetheless continued on.

"I haven't given up on fixing all of you, and you can be sure that I won't let your sister get hurt if I can help it. I don't know when she or I'll be back, so until then, take care of yourself. I promise I'll try to get everything sorted out as soon as I can. I…"

Twilight cocked her head as she listened, but Ruby was struggling to even vocalize her next words. Though she found it hard to say, it had been a feeling Ruby had held ever since she woke up, something that developed in the cave when it was only her and the bat ponies, when her world was so much simpler. But it was a feeling she had never actually said aloud, and it pained greatly that she wouldn't be able to say it for herself.

"I…" Twilight mumbled. She paused to swallow the lump in her throat before she said quietly, "I love you, Lunar."

Lunar Pearl flinched as she let out a soft choke, and then she buried her face in her arms and tail further.

The sound of a shuddered breath came from Ruby before she said, _~Alright. Let's get going.~_

Twilight gaped. _What!? That's it?_

 _~Yeah, that's it.~_

 _You can't just leave it like that!_

 _~I can and I will. Get us out of the room and don't say another word to her.~_

Twilight's jaw fell in disbelief. She then tried to formulate something cheerful to say that would somehow raise Lunar Pearl's spirits, but Ruby's insistent attitude, along with an uncomfortable pluck of a soul fiber, convinced Twilight otherwise. She gave one last forlorn look at Lunar Pearl before she reluctantly got up and left the room.

After closing the door, Twilight glared at the ground as she flicked her tail about. _Do you honestly it was a good idea to leave her like this? Do you have any idea what she's going through?_

 _~We both have an idea of what's she going through, and it's pretty much the same. This isn't easy for me, Twilight. You know that. But there's nothing we can say to help her. There simply aren't sweet words for this kind of stuff.~_

 _She's just a filly!_

 _~She made her decisions,~_ Ruby stated. Twilight scoffed, but held her tongue solely due the turmoil that bubbled beneath Ruby's relatively calm voice. _It was her choice to leave her sister and the rest of them for the hopeful chance that she'd find me. But instead she got the two of us stuck like this, and even worse, she doesn't even know if she can believe you that I'm still here. On top of that, she's back in Dusktown. Her chances of escaping again and heading back to her sister just became nonexistent. For all she knows, Lily's going to die._

 _And you think letting those horrible facts stew in her head is healthy for her?_ Twilight replied in disgust. _If that's what vamponies think being kind to each other is then we need to seriously restructure some things._

 _~She doesn't need a pony to comfort her, she needs a pony who can take action for her,~_ Ruby replied. _~You know this isn't easy for me, Twilight. Of course I want her to feel better, but lying to her about the situation isn't going to help. She's had more than enough words and false promises in her life. I won't give her another, not unless I can make it come true. And as much as I hate to say it, she'll at least be safe here while we handle things.~_

Ruby shared a mental image of the missing bat ponies, and with bitterness, Night Walker's smiling face. _~There's nothing I want more than to take him down and fix all the bat ponies,~_ Ruby said with a growl. _~The sooner we take care of that, the sooner Lunar Pearl can have a normal life. Nothing is going to help her more than that.~]_

Twilight scowled at the floor, letting her own anger at the image of Night Walker burn along side with Ruby's. _I still think you could've gone about it better than that with her. When we're done with this, we are spending some serious time reevaluating vampony social standards and refreshing you on childcare books._

 _~When Night Walker is dead and the bat ponies are fixed, we can do anything you like.~_

With their goals realigned, Twilight left the hallway for the front door. She spoke briefly to the bat pony mare and stallion who'd be watching over Lunar Pearl, neighbors who Lily Wing trusted before to babysit Lunar Pearl. After a quick talk and warning to keep an eye on Lunar Pearl, Twilight said her goodbye and left. Outside, she found all of her friends and the escort of guards waiting, and then all together, they started making their way to the docks.

Pinkie Pie trotted to Twilight's side with a worried face. "How's Loopy doing?"

"I couldn't get a word out of her," Twilight sadly replied. "Was she at least a little happy when you were with her?"

"I got her to smile now and then," Pinkie Pie replied cheerfully, but her enthusiasm dropped as quickly as it had appeared. "She and everypony else are worried about lots of stuff." Twilight nodded in agreement, and they walked silently for some time.

"Twilight?"

"Yes, Pinkie?"

"You can fix them, right?"

"Yeah… I think so."

"When you do, I'm going to need an airship or three."

Everyone, including the guards, looked to Pinkie Pie a questionly. "Why in Equestria would you need that?" Twilight asked.

"Because I'm going to throw the biggest, bestest, most happy-making party I've ever thrown."

Her proclamation made them all pause, and while the guards simply had no idea of the oncoming powerful forces, it brought a smile to the girls faces, even Rarity. But Pinkie Pie's unnaturally grim determination soon made those smiles vanish. The fact that Pinkie Pie of all ponies was treating the situation with such seriousness only reminded them how dire things were, and how much was at stake for the bat ponies.

That reminder in turn served to cause further indecision within Twilight as to what she would do once she arrived in Canterlot.

 _~Still haven't decided on asking them to come or not? Or even telling them at all?~_

 _I probably should, shouldn't I?_ Twilight asked in a guilty tone. _Not depending on them is practically the cause of everything bad that's happened so far…_

 _~If it helps, I'm as nervous about it as you are.~_

Twilight felt Ruby's stance on the matter clearly, but as anxious as they both were, it was for entirely different reasons.

 _You know that they'll help the bat ponies._

 _~I know they will. You don't have to start sharing your memories,~_ Ruby said even as Twilight began to share her past. _~You don't have to convince me that they're trustworthy, not even Rarity who I'm aware is fighting this as hard as she can. I really am trying to not be so cautious of them. It's just hard since they aren't my friends and that almost nothing good happened in Fillydelphia between us. And don't start recalling about the fight in the yard. I'm fully aware they risked their lives for the bat ponies. I'm trying to stay as positive as I can. It's just… It's hard, okay?~_

Twilight gave a small smile. _I know this is hard for you, Ruby. Thank you so much for everything._

A wave of appreciation washed over Ruby who begrudgingly accepted it, and to Twilight's delight, didn't try to reflect back at her. _~Alright, alright. Let's just focus on when we should talk to them. I say we do it when we're close to landing so they don't have too much time to stop us if they decide otherwise.~_

 _You really need to find one personality and stick with it,_ Twilight commented. _It's almost random now on what does and doesn't set you off. Though, I guess it isn't too bad being able to make you get flustered from time to time._

 _~I started off as a copy of you, remember? I may have developed my own tendencies, but I'm still you by most regards, even the aspects you deny.~_

 _Please, like I get flustered so easily._

The sudden and forceful image of Twilight smearing her face and drool across the mirror flashed through their mind, and Twilight stumbled at reliving the experience from Ruby's perspective.

"You okay, Twalight?" Applejack asked.

"Just fine!" Twilight quickly replied and with bright red cheeks.

* * *

With Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash for company, Twilight watched from the rear of the ship as they drew further away from Dusktown. She visually took in each detail she could while the town was still within sight. From its starlike decor to the bat ponies she saw, she and Ruby held the images firmly in their minds. Their visit had been short, and under unfortunate circumstances, but they would come back to Dusktown, someday. When Night Walker was dead, they would be back.

Their mixed escort of bat ponies and pegasi continued with them even when the town finally vanished from view, stating that they'd escort them all the way to the edge of the Unicorn Range. But as reassuring as their company was supposed to be, even the bat ponies Twilight would secretly glance at now and then, their rigid and tight formation only caused Twilight to recount the various rules and restrictions on the town, and inevitably, Elder Grove who wholly supported them. He had kept their departure on the docks formal and short, having only to say farewells to Twilight and Celestia due to Luna staying behind. But as kind and hopeful as his words were that this terrible time would pass and things would become better again, Twilight heard the hidden message intended for her in the tone of his voice.

Unfortunately for him and his ideals, Twilight and Ruby had already made up their minds on the matter.

"That sure was some place," Applejack commented.

"I didn't like it," Rainbow Dash said.

After a moment, they all turned to Pinkie Pie for her opinion, but her grim and silent mood was answer enough.

Applejack tipped her hat in the town's direction in farewell, and then turned to Twilight. "How you holdin' up, Twalight?"

"As well as I could be, I guess," Twilight replied. With a sigh, she turned away from the rail. "It wasn't at all what I thought It'd be like. Artiscally, it's a beautifully town of course. Probably the best in all of Equestria. But I sort of feel the same way you girls do about it."

"What'd Ruby think about it?" Applejack asked.

Her question caught both Twilight and Ruby off guard, and Twilight's ears perked in surprise. Turning to face her friends, Twilight saw all three of them looking to her expectantly.

"She… She didn't like it much either," Twilight slowly answered.

"Can't say I blame her," Rainbow Dash said. "I mean, come on. The place has flight zones for Celestia's sake. I'd go crazy if somepony told me where I could and couldn't fly."

Rainbow Dash gave a dissatisfied snort as Twilight looked to her with a puzzled expression. She was trying to figure out why they had a sudden interest and openness to Ruby. But without further explanation, Rainbow Dash flexed her wings, making her joints pop from the stretch, and then began some physical warm ups. "Alright then, what's plan? We gonna head after Night Walker right away or do you need to pick up something up first?"

Twilight stiffened at the question. "W-What are you talking about?"

"You can drop it, Twi," Rainbow Dash said, not even bothering to look at her as she threw a few hoof punches at an imaginary target. "There's no way we're letting you do it alone."

"We figured there might've been a chance you'd go and do something crazy," Applejack said. "Heck, Ah'd probably do the same thing if Ah'd gone through what you did. But it was Rare's who mentioned you might be up too something. She felt pretty confident you'd go and try to pull some crazy stunt."

Twilight's stared in disbelief at the three of them, mentally cursing at Rarity all the while. Pinkie Pie still hadn't said anything yet, but the intense focus she had on Twilight showed she felt the same.

Twilight glanced at the ship's railing, but the moment she did, Rainbow Dash jumped in front of her. "Don't you even think about it," she warned as she poked Twilight's chest. "Try running again and I can't promise my tackle will be nice like last time."

Twilight fearfully leaned away from Rainbow Dash's intense glare and proximity, their noses nearly touching.

Ruby vividly recalled the mid air tackle. _~She calls that being nice?~_

Applejack came to Twilight's side, and gave a smug smile. "Face it, Twi. There ain't no way we're ever letting you handle something like this again on your own. We're with ya one hundred percent."

"But-" Twilight stammered.

"One hundred and _twenty_ percent," Rainbow Dash corrected.

Twilight stepped backwards as she looked at them in astonishment. "But what if something awful happens? This is going to be dangerous!"

"All the more reason we're gonna come with ya," Applejack said.

Pinkie Pie then came to her side as well with a high but impossibly slow hop, trapping Twilight between the three of them. Twilight felt her heart twinge from their support, but the thought of the worst case scenarios made it painful. "This is serious, girls," Twilight warned.

"And so are we," Rainbow Dash replied.

"You could die!" Twilight shouted. "I couldn't bear losing any of you!"

"You think that's enough to stop us?" Rainbow Dash said with a raised eyebrow. "We've faced hydras, diamond dogs, dragons, changelings… Not to mention Sombra, so that's one Shepherd's butt we've already kicked."

"That was Princess Cadance," Twilight corrected as her voice rose in volume. She wanted to scream at them at how serious and incredibly, horrifically, and violently concerning the matter was, but due to their unbudging stance, Twilight forcibly lowered her voice as she attempted to calm down. "You have no idea how much I want you girls with me. It's just that as scary and horrible as the idea of facing Night Walker alone is, losing any of you is even worse."

"This ain't our first rodeo, Sugarcube," Applejack replied. "Ah don't plan on dying myself, but Ah'd be damned if Ah didn't risk my life making sure you don't die neither."

"Exactly. We'll be able to handle anything as long as we got each other's backs," Rainbow Dash added, punching her hooves together for added effect. "Besides, if any of us are about to die, all you gotta do is bite us and turn us into a vampony."

Twilight's eye twitched as her voice rose multiple octaves. "I'm not turning you into vamponies!"

Rainbow Dash she shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, Twi. I have to say, I think I'd be a pretty cool vampony." She then snickered at Twilight's beat red face, a symptom of wanting to shout too many things at one time.

Suddenly, Pinkie Pie raised her arm and cocked it like a weapon, creating an audible 'cha-chink' that made the rest of the girls pause. With a deadset expression and deep voice, Pinkie Pie said, "We've got a party to crash."

* * *

"Again, are you really sure that you-"

"Come on, Twilight! How many times do we have to say yes?"

Twilight flashed Rainbow Dash an annoyed look before turning back to the others. All six of them were now in one of the ship's cabins. They were only a few hours away from arriving in Canterlot, and so far each attempt at planning their next course of action had been halted by Twilight to reaffirm that they all indeed wanted to come. To her relief, Fluttershy finally spoke some sense.

"It is really scary going off on our own to find Night Walker. Maybe even scarier than a dragon…"

"See? Exactly my point!" Twilight exclaimed. "It's really, really dangerous!"

"But… If we really have too… then I'll go too."

Twilight groaned. "Fluttershy… Not you too."

 _~Are you really complaining about them willing to risk their lives for you?~_

 _Yes! Yes I am!_ Twilight closed her eyes as she rubbed her temple with a hoof. _Rainbow Dash and Applejack I get, and even Pinkie Pie for that matter. And I can already imagine Rarity's stance on it. Of course I don't want any of them getting hurt but I at least know they can take care of themselves to some degree. Fluttershy on the other hoof… I'm just too worried for her._

 _~I'm pretty sure you'd find some other reason even if Fluttershy wasn't here...~_ Ruby then sighed as she suggested, _~Why don't you just tell her that we're going to kill him?~_

 _I can't do that!_

 _~If she still wants to help after knowing that, then I'm not seeing how you can convince her otherwise.~_

 _You're not helping,_ Twilight growled.

"A-And besides," Fluttershy continued when she saw Twilight looking at her again. "We're just going to use the Elements of Harmony on him, right? I think I can be brave enough for that."

Fluttershy received a few supportive nods, all except Twilight who tilted her chin downward. Eventually, the others noticed the sudden mood change, and they tentatively waited for Twilight to speak.

Twilight's wings bristled slightly as she spoke in a low tone, "No... It's not going to be that simple." She clenched her jaw tightly as she pulled her lips back, revealing her fangs to them all. She then looked back up and they paled at the hostility in Twilight's red eyes, resembling Ruby's for the ones who had met her.

Twilight spoke in a calm voice that didn't fit her frightening demeanor. "This isn't going to be like the other times. We can't afford using the Elements of Harmony on somepony like _him_. Even if we somehow got the chance and time to use them, there's no telling what they might do." Twilight paused to look at each of them in the eye. "I'm going to kill Night Walker. I'm not giving him any other option, not after what he's done."

With the exception of Fluttershy's quivering, a dead silence descended within the cabin.

 _~Wow, think you might have overdone it? Also, I don't curl my lips that much.~_

 _They need to know how serious this is. I won't endanger any of them if they can't accept that._

As Twilight kept her menacing demeanor up, she was dimly aware of Ruby's prodding, and begrudgingly allowed her to dig deeply into her portion of their soul. After some moments Ruby commented, _~You really have changed since the beginning.~_

 _A lot's happened..._

"Well then," Rarity casually said, breaking the tension. "If you're quite done trying to scare us, I think it's best that we figure out our plan of action, preferable before we arrive at Canterlot."

A hint of guilt flashed across Twilight's face, but she quickly recomposed herself, and then narrowed her eyes as she regarded Rarity. "I mean it, you know. I'm going to kill him."

"And if nopony here can accept that, then they'll stay behind," Rarity cooly replied. "Trust me, dear, I'm fully aware of the consequences of this endeavour. And I can assure you that you aren't the only one who feels that way." Her stoic face only cracked slightly, but it was enough to reveal her underlying animosity. "He's the one that started all of this. He's the one responsible for taking you away from us and robbing you of your memories, not to mention all the ponies he's killed. And if it wasn't for him, this divide would have never existed between us, Twilight. As unladylike as it is to say it, I fully agree that he's a dead pony now. And if there's any pony whom I will willingly make my target, it's him."

Twilight kept eye contact as she measured her. Unsurprisingly, Rarity had been the only one to show no qualm—or any reaction at all, really—during their discussion. While Twilight greatly appreciated her shared stance on the matter, it worried her greatly that Rarity had fallen just as far as her to so casually talk about such things.

While the rest of the girls were initial appalled at the decision to kill Night Walker, they were slowly coming to terms with it, swallowing the lumps in their throats before nodding slowly in agreement. Even Fluttershy gave a soft nod as she visibly fought back tears.

Twilight sighed as she let go of the anger she had purposely drawn forth, hating that the emotion was becoming more natural to her as time passed. She relaxed her tense facial features and looked to the girls with a saddened expression.

 _~Looks like they made their decision.~_

 _I still feel awful for it. Just look at Fluttershy and how she's forcing herself._ Even though she looked to Twilight bravely to show her support, her quivering chin only made Twilight more sure that this was all a bad idea. She mentally searched for something, anything, that would convince her that it would indeed be okay for all of them to come with her. She desperately wanted their help, but not if it costed even one of their lives. She simply couldn't pay that price.

And it was then that one last idea came to Twilight, and despite all her moral senses telling her no, it was the only thing left that might sway her and her friends feelings on the matter.

Twilight breathed deeply before she spoke, "Before I can agree to have any of you come with me, I have to make sure that you all understand the dangers that could arise."

"Will you just give it a rest already?" Rainbow Dash said as she crossed her arms. "We already know what's at stake. You aren't talking us out of this. We're coming with you."

"I'm not going to risk any of you, Rainbow," Twilight stated firmly. "I need to make sure you're all really prepared for this. We could be facing anything, and I won't force anypony to do this if they can't truly handle this."

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "Like we're really forcing ourselves here to help you out. We can handle this, Twi."

"I still need to make sure."

"Yeah? And how are you going to do that?"

"With Soul Sight."

Rainbow Dash, along with the rest of the girls, gawked at Twilight.

 _~You're going to do what now?~_

 _I'm not, you are._

 _~Right, because as friendly as they've tried to be with me lately, they'll be completely fine with me taking a look inside them.~_

 _They don't have to know it's you._

"Twilight?" Rarity asked.

"Yes?"

Rarity gave a skeptical stare as she asked, "Back in your library, I seem to recall you mentioning that you couldn't perform Soul Sight, and that Ruby was the only one who can." The look on Twilight's face was answer enough, and Rarity let out an distasteful snort. "I'm not sure if I'd feel comfortable enough to have her peering within me."

While Ruby's emotions showed how impressed she was at Rarity's memory, she gave a snort as well. _The feeling's mutual._

Twilight swallowed as she folded her ears back at the stares she got. "You're right, it would be Ruby looking into you, and I know that's a lot to ask. She and I will be invading your space in the most personal way possible. It doesn't directly tell us tangible secrets, but it'll show who you are deep down, and how you really feel about it."

The girls were looking much less certain on the matter now as Twilight continued, "But it's my condition if I'm going to let any of you come with me. I have to know how you really feel about it." Twilight lowered her chin as she looked to them solemnly. "I know I'm making a big fuss about this, but please, I have to do this."

The girls looked to each other, silently gauging the others' feelings about letting Ruby peer within them. There were concerns, of course, even from Rainbow Dash despite the bravado she showed. But the desperate finality on the matter from Twilight eventually convinced them, and they all nodded their heads in reluctant agreement.

"Alright, Twalight," Applejack said. "If you really have to do this, then we'll prove it to ya. You and Ruby can go ahead and take a look."

A breath escaped Twilight, and she lifted her chin as she felt her chest quiver.

 _~What are you getting so worked up for? It's just their souls.~_

 _It's my friends' souls,_ Twilight replied weakly.

They shared no more words on the matter in lieu of emotional exchange, and Ruby felt Twilight's view on the matter was akin to Ruby when looking within bat ponies, though Twilight held much more anxiety than her. Twilight was both excited and scared at the prospect of looking into the souls of the five closest ponies in her life, ponies who were so close that they were able to synchronize with each other on equal wavelengths to a level that allowed them to use the Elements of Harmony. Though their friendship had begun without warning and during frightening circumstances, it had been with a bond so deep that—even to this day—they still explored the binding connections between themselves. Now, Twilight was about to see just how tangible that bond was.

It was with apprehension that Twilight closed her eyes, and breathed slower to calm herself from the anticipation. _Ruby, I-_

 _~You don't need to ask me,~_ Ruby replied as she already began calling forth the Soul Sight. _~This is important for you, so it's important for me.~_

Twilight made sure her gratefulness was felt, and she waited patiently for Ruby to fully bring the power forth. When Twilight felt the otherworldly magic build in her eyes, she slowly opened them, and gazed towards her friends.

The girls had become still beneath Twilight's white and glowing eyes, similar in appearance to whenever they wielded the Elements of Harmony.

Twilight turned to Rainbow Dash first, causing her to stiffen under the penetrating gaze. Rainbow Dash's cheeks became red as she forced herself to maintain eye contact, but then nervously looked away. "Do… Do I have to look into your eyes or can I…" she mumbled.

Twilight giggled softly. "No, it's okay. Honestly, I don't even notice your body during."

"Oh, okay," Rainbow Dash said with apparent relief, but still held some apprehension.

 _~Alright, here we go,~_ Ruby announced. _~We're gonna try and stick to the norm here. As much as you like them, I don't think it's a good idea for us to go all the way in like how we did with the mare back at the hospital.~_

 _Agreed._

Riding from the back seat, Twilight attentively watched as Rainbow Dash's soul appeared, marveling at how it was nestled within her chest. Then, as Ruby focused their consciousness towards it, Twilight saw her vision fade away as the soul became the focus of their attention. Ruby kept them hovering just far enough to avoid inadvertently falling into the strange mental landscape, but it was close enough for the orb-like structure to fill the entirety of their vision. With Ruby's aide, Twilight looked over Rainbow Dash's existence, and after a few moments of sorting out what she saw, she lost her breath.

Even as the tears began, Twilight heard Rainbow Dash's voice as if it was from an outside source. "T-Twilight? Is everything okay? Am… Am _I_ okay?"

Twilight choked as she brought a hoof to her mouth, but she did not wipe away the tears for they did not impeded the Soul Sight, and she merely shook her head side to side. "Rainbow Dash…"

"Yeah?" she replied in worry.

"It's beautiful…"

Twilight couldn't see Rainbow Dash's face, but she saw the flashes of light pulsing within Rainbow Dash's soul, revealing her feelings from the comment. Despite Twilight's recollection of peering into others ponies souls multiple time, she couldn't help herself but become overwhelmed at seeing the soul of a pony who was so close to her.

 _~I'll admit, she is quite the pony,~_ Ruby commented, doing her best to give Twilight some emotional privacy.

 _Look at her,_ Twilight said with awe. She still depended on Ruby's shared thoughts to understand the purpose of the majority of the sections. Yet, she could only keep her attention focused for a moment on one spot before another piece caught her eye, desperately trying to take it in all at once. However, Ruby's intense focus on a prominent section drew Twilight's interest, and she joined her to study it. With a brief touch to Ruby's knowledge, Twilight looked upon the piece in reverence. _I know she's the Element of Loyalty, but I didn't think it'd be this prominent._ She looked at the multitude of fibers that extended from the piece that gave it a connection to nearly every single other component within the soul. _Why doesn't she ever show how much it means to her?_

 _~It's well balanced,~_ Ruby said, impressed at its structure. _~It doesn't overflow into her negative aspects too much, and it looks like worry gets filtered out before reaching anything vital. It's obviously the biggest part of her, but it doesn't override her being as much as I'd expect it to at first glance. For such a featherhead, she sure has one heck of a design to her.~_ Ruby wordlessly called Twilight's attention to her as she focused on specific area. _~Look at this scar on it, right here.~_

Twilight frowned as she took the disfiguration in, noting that despite its healed appearance it was unsightly compared to the rest.

 _~Something big must have happened here to cause this,~_ Ruby commented as she inspected it closely. _~But it's healed amazingly. I bet it hardly impedes the rest of her now.~_

Twilight tried to recall what might have left such an everlasting scar, and only one thing came to mind. _Discord…_

 _~Who?~_

Twilight shared only a few memories of the chaotic entity, which was more than enough for Ruby.

 _~Wow, okay... It's alarming that something like him even exists.~_

Twilight moved away from the scar. _I want to keep this brief, but let's take a quick look around. I want to see if there is anything else to her that I don't already know._

Ruby followed behind as Twilight poked about, answering any question Twilight had whenever she found a piece that caught her eye. When they came to a particular section, Twilight found it hard to resist giggling aloud. _I had no idea!_

Ruby, however, not limited to physical reactions, was already bursting with laughter. _~I'd never have guessed! Rainbow Dash is such a filly!~_

 _We shouldn't make fun of it,_ Twilight said, but it didn't make her stop giggling mentally. _I had no idea she had such a soft side to her._

 _~No wonder, look how buried it is. I can't imagine that she'd ever show such a feminine side willingly.~_

 _Let's make a note to address that with her later,_ Twilight said as she moved away. _The areas near it don't look too healthy._

 _~Good eye,~_ Ruby commented. _~You're starting to pick it up.~_

 _Only thanks to you._

They made another sweep over the soul, noting how very real and large her ego was among other notable things that Rainbow Dash regularly expressed. But as tempting as it was for Twilight to explore deeper, Ruby reminded her why they were even doing this in the first place, and Twilight reluctantly followed Ruby's attention to the matter at hoof.

Rainbow Dash's fear was real, albeit smaller than Twilight believed it should have been. But it was clear that she wouldn't be dissuaded, and that she took the matter seriously. Despite her confidence, she wasn't treating the situation as frivolously as Twilight had believed.

 _~Seen enough?~_

 _Yeah… Take us out._

Twilight saw Rainbow Dash's soul pull away from them, and she blinked at the room that flooded back into vision. The Soul Sight was still active so she could see the bare forms of the souls of the other girls, but she held off diving into the next one to give Rainbow Dash an adoring smile. Rainbow Dash tilted her head in confusion and opened her mouth, but Ruby and Twilight had already turned to Applejack.

Within moments, Applejack's soul filled their vision, and it had the same impact on Twilight as Rainbow Dash's had, and Twilight simply gave up on holding back her tears.

 _~Seriously?~_ Ruby said as she looked over the section that she easily identified as Applejack's honesty. _~I get that you're all the Elements of Harmony, but isn't this a little much? Doesn't this seem just a little strange to you?~_

 _No, she's perfect._ Twilight smiled as she felt herself become warmer from Applejack's soul. _She's just who she is._

While honesty was indeed the most notable part, the portions that held her love and ties to family nearly matched it. Applejack's foundation was grounded with a stability that few others held, and while her weakness of carrying heavy burdens on herself seeped into her otherwise strong aspects, Applejack was truly a down to earth farm pony with all the hospitality and warmth one would ever find.

 _I always thought of her like this, but to actually see it… She really is a remarkably strong and amazing pony._ Twilight sniffled before she looked towards Applejack's feelings on hunting Night Walker down, and found the same emotions that Rainbow Dash held.

 _~Well, that answers that.~_

 _Hmhmm,_ Twilight replied, and she signaled she was ready to pull out. Though, she couldn't help but laugh at seeing Applejack's embarrassment flare up at their inspection. When the cabin came back in view, Twilight smiled at Applejack's fidgeting and flustered appearance.

"So… H-How do Ah look?"

"Absolutely perfect," Twilight replied. "But you really need to lean on us more when you need to, okay?"

Applejack's face turned red, and she tipped her hat down to cover it. "Y-Yeah, Ah'll do that…"

 _~Next up.~_

Fluttershy squeaked when she fell under Twilight's gaze, and began to shake.

"It's going to be okay, Fluttershy," Twilight gently said. "You won't feel a thing."

"I… I know. It's just…" Fluttershy opened and closed her mouth a few times as she tried to speak, but then eventually shook her head and puffed her chest out. "J-Just look!"

If it wasn't for the tears that had built in Fluttershy's eyes, Twilight would have believed Fluttershy was ready to face anything. Soon, her shaking body was replaced with her luminous soul, and Twilight's ears flattened at what she saw.

 _~Looks like you were right,~_ Ruby commented, though it was with sadness at what they saw. _~It's amazing that she's been able to push herself as much as she has.~_

Twilight couldn't even speak as they moved around Fluttershy's soul, feeling pained just looking at the flared sections overflowing with anxiety and fear.

 _~She has courage, I'll give her that.~_ Ruby drew Twilight's attention to the section buried deep beneath the pulsing fibers. _~It's tiny, but incredibly strong. To think this little thing has gotten her through everything that's happened. I can only imagine how it could grow without all these constrictions around it.~_ Ruby sorrowfully watched the budding section force bursts of courage throughout the webwork of fear, causing tiny tears that—while not too destructive—were undoubtedly causing internal damage to Fluttershy's soul and psyche.

 _~It's clashing with her too much. The amount of fear, doubt, and anxiety is too prominent within her on matters like this. If it grows like this, it'll eventually rip something. Just look at all the scarring...~_

 _She can't come with us,_ Twilight whispered. Her chin quivered as she moved away, indicating to Ruby her desire to leave. _I can't risk her… She's in too much pain from it already._

 _~You know it's going to devastate her,~_ Ruby said, but she nonetheless began pulling them out.

 _I know, but I can't risk her._ Twilight stifled a choke that threatened to make her start bawling. The pain and fear within Fluttershy was too much for her to bear, and she knew she could never look at Fluttershy the same again. She wasn't even disappointed in her, she was just hurt at how fragile Fluttershy really was and how hard she had managed to push herself with her seedling of courage. It made her feel angry at herself for not having been able to recognize the outward signs sooner.

When the room came back into view, Twilight had no idea how to break the news, but given that Fluttershy was now outright crying, she realized she must have inadvertently revealed her answer from her facial expressions during her inspection.

Even though Fluttershy was openly bawling and taking lungfuls of air through her mouth, she still kept an insistent expression, pleading with fearful eyes that Twilight wouldn't turn her away.

Rarity and Pinkie Pie were at her sides, doing their best to calm her down, but Fluttershy paid no mind to them as she kept staring at Twilight expectantly. "W-W-Well? I-I can c-come... r-right?"

Twilight felt as if she herself would break down when Fluttershy pushed her chest out just a little more, still trying to look brave despite her quivering chin. The Soul Sight faded and Twilight's eyes returned to their crimson color, and she slowly shook her head side to side.

Fluttershy's expression fell in heartbreak. "B-But I can b-be brave…" she whispered. "I w-want to help! I n-n-need to c-come!"

"... I"m sorry, Fluttershy," Twilight said quietly. "I know you're brave. I really, really do. It's amazing how strong you are deep down."

Fluttershy's front legs finally gave out as she laid herself down, but she still looked to Twilight with desperate hope. "B-But it's n-not enough?"

Twilight shuddered as she too found it hard to breath, and she laid down as well to look at Fluttershy from equal height. "I'm sorry… I'm so, so sorry, but I couldn't live with myself if you forced yourself to come like this. I can't do this to you… I can't let you do this to yourself…"

Unable to hold the tears back any longer, Fluttershy began sobbing. "B-but… I ha-have to do s-something!" She buried her head beneath her hooves as she wailed into the cabin floor, all while Rarity and Pinkie Pie comforted her. "E-Even if we a-are going to k… ki… kill him… I w-want to be the-eh-eh-er! I want to he-eh-elp!"

"I know," Twilight cooed as she moved towards her and began stroking her mane. "I know you do…"

"I c-couldn't be there b-before!" Fluttershy cried on. "I just w-want to be th-there for y-you now!"

"I know, Fluttershy, I know…" Twilight said while whimpering.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash had at some point also come closer, and now the five of them were collectively comforting Fluttershy, whispering assurances even as Fluttershy continued to beg to come between her sobbing.

Time passed, and eventually she cried herself to exhaustion. Even then she still pleaded for Twilight to let her come, turning to the others for support. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie had sided with her at first, but in the end they were convinced it would be best for her to stay, and they gave Fluttershy their heartfelt apologies.

They hated it, but since they wouldn't be using the Elements of Harmony, they couldn't afford to have Fluttershy endanger herself against an opponent like Night Walker. He was the type of pony that—if he desired—wouldn't hesitate to kill Fluttershy right away. She wasn't quick or strong enough to protect herself against him, and it would be dangerous if the others had to focus on her instead of themselves.

When they finally managed to convince Fluttershy as well that it'd be best for her to stay in Canterlot, she became very quiet.

"Don't worry, Fluttershy," Pinkie Pie said with a sad smile. She had remained by her side the entire time and was still rubbing her back. "I'll stay behind with you."

Fluttershy looked up to her with wide eyes, as did the others. "R-Really?" Fluttershy asked in disbelief.

"Really really," Pinkie Pie said. Her ears fell down as she looked to Twilight. "As much as I want to be there with you, Twilight, I don't know if I can. Especially if you know… if you're gonna K, I, L, L him." After Twilight nodded in agreement, Pinkie Pie beamed at Fluttershy. "But that doesn't mean we can't get ready to throw the biggest and bestest party ever! In fact, it's going to be so big that I'll need your help."

"You m-mean it?" Fluttershy asked with large eyes.

"You got it!" Pinkie Pie replied. "It's gonna be so big, that we're going to need all of Canterlot Castle just to fit it all! I'm still going to throw a big party in Dusktown, of course. But that doesn't mean we can't throw the main bash at Canterlot!" Pinkie Pie leaned towards her and grinned. "We'll help them when they get back in the way that only we can do."

A smile finally appeared on Fluttershy's face. It was a small one, but it was still a smile.

The mood brightened considerably once Fluttershy managed to get herself back on her hooves. Pinkie Pie was already chatting away about what color of streamers they should decorate with, and it brought relief to the others.

 _~One left,~_ Ruby tentatively reminded, also having been disheartened at Fluttershy's distress.

 _Right…_

Twilight turned to Rarity who instantly noticed, and after a staring at another for some moments, Rarity simply nodded.

Twilight already felt confident about the result, but she still needed to do it. "Okay," Twilight said, drawing everypony's attention. They looked back and forth between Rarity and Twilight, wondering and worrying at what might happen. Twilight stilled herself and pensively gazed at Rarity's hooves as Ruby recalled the Soul Sight.

 _~I don't think anything's going to happen, but be ready in case something does.~_

 _Got it._

At Ruby's command, Twilight slowly lifted her head, and delved into Rarity's soul.

Rarity's generosity was clear, spreading about her being in ways that was odd by most accounts. Her ego was apparent, as were the various forms of excitement that could be evoked by the simplist of things that interested her, indicating her association with such things could be called petty as Ruby put it. But all of it was weaved with her generosity in such a way that it reduced the inherent negatives associated with those kinds of characteristics. As much as she cared for herself, nearly every fiber of her being was built to be shared with and applied to other ponies. Her attention to detail, her excitement, even her ego had significant portions dedicated to her giving nature. As much as she prided herself on her interests such as fashion, it was evident that the pony who would wear it stayed at the forefront of her mind.

Those were the parts that Twilight admired, and felt honored to see so that she could appreciate and understand Rarity in more ways. However, it was the _other_ aspects that frightened her and drew her attention the most, and Twilight could now sympathize with those that said the Hunters were cursed.

Where Twilight's soul was layered with crimson coloring, Rarity's was layered in grey. It wasn't as balanced or evenly ingrained as Twilight's, but it was nearly as prominent. It augmented some sections more than others, artificially drawing out more than what could naturally be produced in areas such as her suspicion, awareness, and anger. The fibers specifically related to her physical nature such as reflexes were streamlined in an incredibly efficient manner that made the utmost use of her abilities, allowing her to go above and beyond without actually making her physically stronger.

But while these traits were refined and boosted in new ways, others were stifled and even isolated outright. The grey substance didn't cut fibers like what seemed to have happened to Night Walker's fragmented soul, but it clumped and blocked pathways just as effectively. Even now Twilight could see Rarity's fear nearly engulfed by the grey clumps, preventing its tiny pulses of light from extending outward to the rest of Rarity's being. Looking at the thing as a whole, Rarity was slowly transforming into a cold and calculating creature whose morals were effectively removed, allowing her to perform her actions guided by hatred flawlessly and without hinderance. Only when those action were performed could the rest of her emotions such as happiness be released for short amounts of time.

Aside from the nurtured fury that throbbed like a hungry beast, Twilight could finally understand Rarity's sentiments of her being dead inside. Internally, Twilight felt far more alive than Rarity.

Unable to handle it a moment more, Twilight wordlessly begged Ruby to take them away, and Ruby was more than eager to comply. While not as distraught, she too had been unnerved at the inner workings of the Hunter's curse, and she held even more apprehension towards Rarity now.

Once again, Twilight believed she had inadvertently revealed her emotions physically, for Rarity stared at her with a gentle but sad expression.

"That bad, is it?" Rarity asked.

Twilight wiped her eyes, trying to rework her face into something that didn't show complete heartbreak.

"I thought so," Rarity whispered.

It was unfair. It was so terribly, terribly unfair that she couldn't stand it. Without thinking of how Rarity might react, she immediately moved towards Rarity and embraced her tightly. To her relief, Rarity did not strike her, but Twilight would have hardly cared if she had. She needed to hold Rarity right now, even if it would wound her to do so.

Twilight's shook as she cried into Rarity's shoulder, dimly aware that she shouldn't grip too tightly. Rarity allowed it as she pulled Twilight closer, and started rubbing Twilight's back with a hoof to soothe her. Though Rarity's eyes showed a deep sadness, not a single tear came as she cooed to Twilight, "It's alright, dear… It'll be alright…"

The others kept their distance despite how much they wished to share the pain. Rarity wordlessly acknowledge their plight as she cradled Twilight, giving them a silent look for them to pick themselves back up and be strong for Twilight's sake.

Eventually, Twilight pulled herself away, still sniffling as Rarity gently wiped away the tears. "There, there, darling," Rarity said with a smile. Now that Twilight knew how fake and forced it was, she felt herself nearly start crying again. "Everything will be fine. We'll take care of everything together, right?"

"R-Right," Twilight mumbled. With one last shuddered breath as Twilight calmed down, she gave Rarity a small smile. "Thanks for not hitting me."

"Don't worry," Rarity said as she straightened Twilight's mane with her magic. "There's only one vampony I'm going to hurt."

Twilight giggled, and then brought her hoof to her mouth in shock. "Wow, how dark are we getting to laugh at that kind of humor?" She knew she shouldn't find it funny, but it was hard not to smirk at the idea.

Rarity simply smiled as she finished with her mane, then motioned to the others. "Now that that's all settled, shall we discuss the plan? It can't be much longer before we arrive in Canterlot."

Twilight stepped away to sit where she could face them all. "Right. It's pretty simple right now." They all retook their seats as they listened attentively. "Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, you'll provide cover for our escape to buy us as much time as possible. Celestia, Cadance, and my brother will be there, and I can't imagine it'll take them long to realize that we're gone."

Fluttershy meekly nodded while Pinkie Pie gave a salute.

"As for the rest of us, we're going to meet up with up with the bat ponies Lunar Pearl mentioned. It'll be Mist Hoof, whom you met, Rarity and Applejack." The two of them nodded at their memory of the older stallion. "If my guess is correct, he's waiting with the other bat ponies that you fought beside in the yard."

"And you think he's just gonna accept that Ruby is no longer in charge?" Rarity asked.

"Truth be told, he was already suspecting that I was Princess Twilight," Twilight replied. "I don't think he's aware that Ruby is still alive, or even was her own entity for that matter, but he brought up my identity more than once after he had spoken to you two."

"He seemed alright to me," Applejack said. "But do you think he'll really help us find Night Walker?"

"I can only hope. Lunar Pearl wasn't able to remember where they were, and by the sound of things, they might have already moved on." Twilight frowned slightly as she tilted her chin down. "I still can't figure out why Night Walker even let her go in the first place, or left Mist Hoof and the others waiting for me if they still are. It's almost like he wants me to find him."

"Who knows what's going on in that crazy pony's head," Applejack said with a scowl. "He never sat right by me in the first place. There's just no telling what twisted thoughts are running through his mind."

Twilight nodded, but she still felt off about the whole thing.

 _~I'm with you on that. I don't like the feel of this.~_

 _What do you think he's planning? He's got the capability to turn bat ponies into vamponies. So far he's only got a small but powerful army, but you'd think he'd have made his move by now or at least made sure there's no loose ends._

 _~Whatever it is, he's not going to get away with it. You know as well as I do that this could just be an elaborate trap, just another line of bait while waiting for his other hooks to catch. Celestia knows he's always planning for the next step.~_

 _You're right. No matter what, this ends with him dying. No other outcome. Also, that's twice now that you-_

 _~I know, I know!~_ Ruby said with a fuss. _~You don't need to keep count!~_

"What's Ruby think?" Applejack asked.

Twilight blinked in surprise as she looked up. "Oh. She's… She's also worried about things. Like if it's a trap or not."

"Well, I'm right there with her," Applejack replied. "This whole thing smells as rotten as a month old apple core."

Twilight regarded Applejack for a moment before she asked, "Why are you all showing more interest in Ruby now?"

"That'd be me, darling," Rarity said. Twilight turned to her in surprise, and Rarity gave an innocent shrug. "I know it seems strange. Trust me, by all accounts I want to get rid of her still, but I have to wonder how much of that is my feelings on the matter versus my… less appealing side. But despite that, I've seen how much of an influence she's had on you." Rarity gave Twilight a knowing smile as she motioned to the girls. "We've all seen how you were before you and Ruby came to terms. And while I didn't trust her at first, I can clearly see how much better you've become now that you two are friends. It's not hard to notice all the times you've become quiet while staring in the distance. I can't say I approve of it yet, but despite my intuition, I think she's good for you. We all do, in fact."

Twilight stared slack jawed at the other girls, and saw giving her supportive nods and smiles.

"If anything, she cares a lot about the bat ponies," Applejack said. "It's hard to hate a pony that thinks that much about family and all."

"She's a pretty good flier from what I remember," Rainbow Dash said. "If you two ever figure out how to swap places, you should let me practice with her. She's looks like she might be able to give me a mean race."

"I-I don't really know her," Fluttershy squeaked. "But besides some of the… well, things I don't think I can talk about right now, she seemed pretty nice. And Lunar Pearl really liked her, so I think she's good with children."

"Are you kidding? Loopy loves her!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed. The statement sent a twinge of pain through Twilight and Ruby from their farewell to Lunar Pearl, but Pinkie Pie continued on. "The entire time she was so worried about what was happening to her, and she even asked if Twilight swallowed her whole or something! How silly is that?" While Pinkie Pie snickered profusely, the rest of them merely gave a half-hearted laughed at the morbid joke.

 _~They're… They're really good friends, aren't they?~_

 _You saw their souls too. You tell me._

A sudden groan echoed throughout the ship, and they all tilted their heads at the muffled shout from above. "Canterlot in sight!"

They all turned back to each other, mentally preparing themselves for the moment that would soon come.

"We'll all meet up in Pinkie's room in a few hours," Twilight said. "Her balcony faces east which is where we're heading. Eat before then, and bring whatever you think will be essential. We'll be moving quick and light."

As they all nodded, Pinkie Pie suddenly jumped up. "Oh! Oh!"

"What is it Pinkie?" Twilight asked.

"You never looked inside me!"

"I don't think now's a good time to-"

"Puhleeeeeeeze?"

Pinkie Pie gave the largest puppy dog eyes she could muster, adding a quivering lip for extra effect.

Twilight rolled her eyes, but sighed in defeat considering she didn't know if she would be able to grant the request again. "Fine, sit down."

Pinkie Pie exploded upwards once before zipping into a sitting position, still fidgeting in excitement.

Twilight closed her eyes as Ruby summoned the Soul Sight again, and she reopened them as they peered into Pinkie Pie's being.

Twilight gave an amused smile from obliging Pinkie Pie's enthusiastic request. Then, her facial expression became blank as she took a second glance at Pinkie Pie. Twilight rubbed her eyes with her hoof, and then frowned as she stared more intently. Some moment of silence passed before finally a look of pure horror spread across her face.

 _~What in the name of Celestia's flank!?~_

"Pinkie Pie!" Twilight screamed. "What is wrong with you!?"


	48. Chapter 48

Deep beneath Canterlot Castle and guided by flickering torchlight, Rarity walked downward along a winding stone passage. As she descended, she idly reflected upon her feelings towards the narrow space. If she had ever had a sense of claustrophobia before, she couldn't remember what it felt like now. That disconnect was one among many strange things that she found herself thinking about less often as the days passed, believing that it was needless to recall previous fears that now seemed nothing more than a distant dream. But, as pointless as she now considered it, she still searched within herself for something that might remind her how she used to feel, an inkling of her previous self to occupy her mind as she walked. Even when she did reach the end of the stairwell and came upon an old iron door, she desperately searched, hoping for something to arise within her.

But nothing came, and so she opened the door.

The two royal guards waiting on the other side regarded her for a moment before returning their attention to the jail cells that lined the room. They had already been notified of Rarity's arrival. Rarity paid them little mind as she strode forward, noting only their relative size and armaments, and nothing else, for she deemed nothing else about them important.

She passed the iron-barred cells, briefly glancing at the inmates that stared back at her with a mixture of fear and shame. Some widened their eyes as though a flicker of hope came to them at her appearance, but that hope would fade when Rarity simply moved on. In addition to the fact that they shared the same coat and mane hues as her, she knew two things of the pony she sought. He was a pegasus, and though she had only met him briefly before, she knew his face would be the same as hers: expressionless.

When she reached the last cell, she paused, and then turned to face the pony inside. Unlike the others that only needed iron bars, or in the case of the unicorns, magical restraints on their horns, the lone pegasus was shackled with iron on each of his limbs, and he wore a strapped leather vest that contained his wings. He regarded her stoically, just as she imagined he would, behaving as though the two of them were simple acquaintances meeting by chance on the street. But as they locked eyes for some moments more, Rarity finally recognized who the pony was, and she found herself taken aback.

She understood how how he among all of the hunters had been able to hold his ground against Twilight, back when he and four others had cornered Twilight in the airship yard, and Rarity berated herself for not having recognized him sooner. Then again, having experienced the Hunter's effects first hoof, she found it easy to believe that nopony would've recognize him at first. The pony locked in the cell was starkly different than his once easygoing and cheerful self. Despite having the same face, his entire persona was that of another.

"What'd you want to know?" he asked. There was no excitement in his voice, no worry, no fear. No hint of his former self remained. Rarity had only actually met him a few times before all of these dreadful events transpired, and she wondered if she would eventually become as different as he had become.

"I'm surprised you're willing to talk to me," Rarity said.

"No, you're not."

Rarity was quiet for a moment, and then asked, "Why are we like this?"

"Because our family thought this was the best way to handle the dead," he replied. "Back when we used to know who we were."

"Family is too loose of a word, I think," Rarity replied. "I'm already aware of the basics about us. I want to know what I haven't learned yet."

He narrowed his eyes, the first sign of any real expression from him, and he thought for a moment. "I get it… You're leaving to go after _him_."

Rarity restrained her reaction remarkably well by all accounts, but the slight widening of her eyes was enough of an answer. It was enough for one of them.

"Princess Celestia doesn't know," he mused, gauging Rarity with each word. "And you don't have time to find one of the headmasters, so you came to me. So, what'd you want to know?"

Rarity didn't feel panicked at how easily he had read her, but her uneasiness was something the Hunter's magic kept very active. "We have to be 'awakened' to become like this, correct?"

"That's right," he replied, and then he regarded Rarity with renewed interest. "Huh, that's something. I thought it was strange seeing you like that back then, especially since you were never at any of the gatherings. I'd just figured you were one of the other members somewhere else and you just lost your mind or something. There's only a few of us who can perform the ritual, and somehow you've 'awakened' all on your own. How'd you manage that?"

"If I knew I wouldn't share it," Rarity replied. "It wasn't something I was entirely aware of myself."

"Well, your fight in the yard says otherwise. You were like one of us when I first saw you, except… you weren't." His passive face then cracked, and he glared at her. "How in Equestria can you side with _her_?"

"She's my friend," Rarity replied, feeling her muscles tense and the hair on her neck rise at his sudden hostility.

"And she killed our own," he said bitterly.

"You were trying to kill her first."

He then leapt forward, throwing his body as far as he could before the shackles stopped him in place. All of the whispering within the jail room trailed off with the sharp echo of clattering chains. He shouted, "Don't you get how serious this is?"

Without breaking eye contact with him, Rarity raised her hoof to assure the two guards everything was alright, and they tentatively lowered their spears back to their sides. The other inmates were staring at Rarity with wide eyes, unsure if they should be angry or worried.

"That demon turned our Princess into a monster like him," he growled. "The world's better without them, and we're the only ones who can do that. The other Princesses won't hurt Princess Twilight, and they've refused to send the entire army after Night Walker. Everypony in Equestria is at risk because nopony is going to do anything about it, and you'd rather sneak off on your own instead of protecting them!"

"I am not sneaking off," Rarity said with a hushed but venomous tone, and she spoke so only the two of them could hear her. "I'm going to end it."

"With just you and our doomed Princess?"

"Yes."

He scoffed, and then sat back down within the center of his cell. "And what then?"

"I don't know."

"You haven't even undergone the full ritual," he chided, but his anger was quickly cooling, and his voice became calm and even once again. "You're just a liability like that. Even I can tell you aren't fully turned yet."

"And if I have my way, I never will," Rarity replied. "Regardless, I did not come here to have an argument with you. I came for answers."

"Yeah? Well, I've decided I'm not giving you any," he replied.

Rarity raised an eyebrow. "I've always guessed you were a bit thick-headed, but that seems rather counterproductive given that I have a shot at ending this while you're locked down here. In fact, I've been told that the majority of your so called 'family' have already been detained. If you want this to be over then you should inform me as much as you can."

"Just because it's logical doesn't mean I'll follow along," he replied. "There's more to us than that. And you still didn't answer me. Even if you stop him, what then? Are you going to handle the next threat all on your own too?"

Rarity frowned. "What are you talking about."

"Nightmare Moon, Discord, Sombra, Night Walker… please tell me you aren't that clueless."

"Explain," Rarity said firmly.

"Don't you think it's strange that all of these threats are returning? Nightmare Moon could at least be predicted even if most of us forgot, and Discord's always been… Discord. But what about Sombra _and_ Night Walker, huh? Two of the Four Shepherds? Doesn't that seem a little strange to you?"

"You know, I keep hearing hints about them," Rarity remarked. "And I find myself becoming rather annoyed that's all I've managed to hear thus far."

"Welcome to the club," he replied. "I was only told about two of them because of my natural advantage against them."

"Night Walker," Rarity said. "But who is the second one?"

"I don't know her name, but I've been told what she's capable of, and if she ever does come back you'll know where to find me and the others."

Rarity stepped a hoof forward and said with a hushed voice, "If you have any desire to protect Equestria, then you will tell me. _Now_."

He regarded her for a moment, and then shut his eyes. "If or when Equestria does become threatened by her, you can bet I and all the other Hunters will be set free because it'll be the only chance we'll have at stopping her. She isn't a princess, so there's nothing to stop Princess Celestia and Princess Luna from sending us after her." He opened his eyes again. "But even then it might not be enough. A thousand years of peace and crumbling traditions has weakened us. It wasn't until the ritual was performed on me that I realized that sad fact…"

He looked up to the ceiling. "There's a lot of things I didn't realize before then… Time's been cruel to us. We've become weak. Sitting around like nothing will happen while the dead slept, the same dead that destroyed our old kingdom and rotted our ancestors bodies... Even now I-"

He paused when Rarity suddenly turned away and began walking towards the stairwell. "You're leaving?" he asked, leaning forward as far as he could to watch her through his bars.

"I can't afford to listen to you all night," Rarity replied without looking back. "Nor do I have the patience to hear your cryptic history lesson. You've become rather irritating since you changed. I can't imagine how Rainbow Dash feels about you now, if she even knows, that is. Since you refused to answer me, I'll just take my leave."

With that, Rarity departed the room and ascended the stairs. After the echoes of her hoofsteps had faded, the two guards shared an amused chuckle with each other before one of them said, "Looks like things went well between you two."

The other inmates looked forlornly at the ground; some even began to tear up and cry again, but the chained pegasus spoke, "Don't worry. All of you will be released sooner or later. You aren't Hunters yet, so you'll be the first to be free when this is all over."

"B-But what about you?" one of them asked.

"Yeah, what about you?" one of the guards repeated smugly. " _Ex_ -Wonderbolt Soarin."

Soarin eyed the two guards, and then turned to the jailed ponies looking towards him with hope. Despite the Hunter's magic preventing him from feeling like he once had, he could still sense the bond he felt whenever he saw a pony with matching colors, and he gave them a forced smile. "I'll still be here until I'm needed. Don't worry about me, I'll be alright." He then settled back into a comfortable position and stared at the stone floor. "They'll need me again, eventually… They'll need all of us…"

* * *

The gold-trim door opened, and Pinkie Pie greeted the pony outside with a bubbly voice, "Hey, Rarity!"

"Hello, dear," Rarity replied, smiling as she entered the room. With one brief glance, she saw that she was the last to arrive. "I apologize for being late, girls."

"No sweat," Rainbow Dash replied. She was busy in front of a mirror admiring the black marks she had painted on her cheeks. "We're just about ready here."

"Ah feel like Ah should be bringing something more with me," Applejack said as she jostled the saddlebags on her back. "Aside from some rope and food, Ah couldn't think of too much else to bring. Wish we started this back in Ponyville, and maybe then Ah'd be able to bring some stuff from the farm."

"It's alright," Twilight replied. "In fact, the only reason everypony is carrying a bag is for extra provisions in case something happens."

"Speaking of," Pinkie Pie said with a smirk. She bounced herself towards a wrapped basket at the edge of the room and then bounced back to Twilight. "I made you these!"

Twilight took a tentative sniff, and smiled at the aroma coming from it. "Pinkie, are those muffins?"

"Yuperooni! I was able to finish them just before you all came by!"

"Twilight's portion is separated, I trust?" Rarity asked.

Pinkie Pie simply grinned while sticking her tongue out. "Hmhmm!"

Twilight frowned in confusion for a moment, but then widened her eyes in realization as she screamed, "Pinkie!"

"Relax, Twilight," Pinkie Pie said. "I was extra careful this time. See? I made the cut nice and small."

Twilight grimaced and she began to carefully inspect Pinkie Pie's hoof. "Well, yes, it does seem better than last time, but… That's not the point! I already told you not to do this!"

"But it's been a while, right?" Pinkie Pie asked while tilting her head. "Don't you need to eat?"

"Yeah, but still!"

"No buts, Sugarcube," Applejack said as she slung an extra coil of rope around her shoulders. "And when you do finish them muffins, you're gonna accept our blood when ya need it, and without fussing neither."

Twilight huffed and opened her mouth to speak, but Fluttershy's squeak interrupted her. "Rarity! A-Are those…"

Everypony turned to Rarity who had set down her saddlebags amongst the group's, and they saw three gleaming rapiers slowly being twirled about in her magic.

"Just some decorative items from my room," Rarity answered. "Not quite as sharp as the ones in the armory I imagine, but I suppose they'll have to do for such late notice. The maids tended to them well enough."

"Flying feather brains, Rarity," Rainbow Dash said as she stepped closer for a better look, but still kept herself a healthy distance away from their points. "I _get_ one sword, but three?"

"I was actually hoping I could bring more with me," Rarity said as she spun them about. They wove intricate patterns between each other, twirling about in what appeared to be random movements. But the girls, who had seen her perform her threadwork numerous times, could spot the underlying motions that resembled the pins and needles she normally wove through the air. Rarity then thrust at a pretend target in rapid succession, pinning it like an unruly cloth from numerous angles.

"Yes, these will do nicely," Rarity commented as she brought them together and stowed them away.

 _~That pony scares me sometimes.~_

 _You and me both._

Twilight watched Rarity speak more to Rainbow Dash about the weapons, painfully noting the lack of expression on Rarity's face.

 _~I know it's hard, but she'll be alright. We'll figure something out.~_

 _I know I told her that I didn't know if the Elements would help her or not, but…_

 _~You're willing to risk it on the possible chance they can?~_

Twilight nodded.

 _~Don't worry, we'll be careful when we do it. Now that we understand how they work a bit more, maybe we'll have more control over them. I mean, I've never used them, but the few memories you shared made them seem easy enough. Talk about friendship, and then point and shoot, right?~_

Twilight smirked. _When you explain it like that, it makes the whole thing feel incredibly simple._

 _~Isn't it, though?~_

 _Trust me, when you feel their magic coursing through it, nothing seems simple._

Twilight then shared her memories of using the Elements vividly, and she felt Ruby shiver in response. _~Wow, that's some magic. You'd think there'd be a downside to using them for all that power. Where the heck did they come from anyways?~_

 _I don't know. But as for downsides , well... it didn't remove the vampirism…_ Twilight sighed at the thought, but then gasped moments later. _Ruby, I'm so-_

 _~It's fine, I get what you meant. What's done is done. But I feel just as confused as you do. For all-powerful friendship-slash-soul magic, you'd think they wouldn't leave something like vampirism in a pony.~_

 _I guess there's still a lot we don't know about them, especially if they really did cause Rarity's latent Hunter magic to activate._

That thought brought a wave of sadness from Twilight, but Ruby gently but firmly pushed back against it. _~That is the best explanation we have so far, but there's still a lot to think about. We're going to be spending a lot of time analyzing their effects with our Soul Sight once we get back to Ponyville. What if...~_

Ruby and Twilight began an in depth conversation, spurred from the contemplative mood that beset them. However, Ruby's focus was soon replaced by amusement, and Twilight frowned at her internal giggling.

 _What is it?_

 _~Oh, nothing. Just enjoying the fact that I can still see through your eyes even when you aren't paying attention to them.~_

Twilight blinked as her outer awareness returned, and she went beet-red when she saw all five of her friends staring at her with smug smiles. Twilight gulped as she meekly said, "I did it again, huh?"

"It's fine, dear," Rarity said. "I'm sure you two were having a lovely conversation."

"Wish we could hear you two talk," Applejack said. "Sure make things easier when you're figuring out something."

"Sorry," Twilight said as she lowered her chin, and she became even more red at their chuckling.

 _~She's got a point, Twilight. I'm sure they'd love to hear about how you drooled all over the mirror~_

 _So help me I will cut all your connections._ Twilight glared at the carpet as she relayed the thought, pretending she could see Ruby cowering beneath her gaze. However, a sudden twinge inside caused her to flinch to the side, and she let out a surprised yelp.

 _~Careful, you wouldn't want to upset the pony that literally lives inside your soul.~_

"Everything okay, Twalight?" Applejack asked in concern.

"Just fine!" Twilight exclaimed. "Let's get back to preparing!"

"I think we're all ready here, Twi," Rainbow Dash said. "AJ's got her rope and some food, I got the blankets, you got the muffins and Rarity's got her pokers."

"Rapiers," Rarity corrected.

"Whatever. The fact is we're all good to go." Rainbow Dash's confident grin fell when she looked to Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. While Pinkie Pie was giving them a wide grin in show of support, Fluttershy's smile was small, and tears were already falling down her cheeks.

"Aww, geeze," Rainbow Dash said forlornly as she hovered to Fluttershy. "We know you're brave, 'Shy. Really, we do."

"That's right," Applejack said as she came to Fluttershy's side as well. "Nopony's blaming ya on how things turned out. Aint none of us thinking less of ya."

"B-But I-" Fluttershy began.

"Now, dear," Rarity interjected. She moved in front of Fluttershy and gently parted Fluttershy's mane so that she could see her face clearly. Rarity smiled at her. "We're all fighting hard on this. And while we'll be doing the physical portion of that fighting, there's no pony who's fought as well or fervently as you have." Rarity wrapped her hooves around Fluttershy and pulled her into a hug. "Celestia knows how much you've been helping me through this, dear. And you'll be here to help us when we get back. That's where your strength shines."

Fluttershy sucked in a lungful of air as she hugged Rarity back, and she held their tight embrace until she stopped shivering.

"There you are," Rarity cooed. "It'll be alright."

The other girls gave gentle touches of support, and when Fluttershy finally pulled away to wipe the drying tears, she shared a quick hug with each of them as well.

A silence came over the room when none of them were sure what to say next, and that silence served as a reminder they couldn't delay their departure much longer. Together, they all looked out the room's balcony and towards the dark night.

"He's out there, somewhere," Applejack said.

Rainbow Dash snorted. "Probably thinks he's gotten away with all of this too."

They each focused on their own thoughts, imagining what may come next or how it had all lead to this moment. Night Walker had done terrible things, and it was their unified goal to defeat him. Yet, as much as they each sought his demise, Twilight's resolve on the matter was undoubtedly the greatest among all of them, so the girls looked to Twilight's deathly silent visage.

Watching her at this moment, on the precipice of their dangerous journey, they saw how much Twilight had changed, and grown from it all. They could see the old Twilight within her, the neurotic book loving princess whom they had all come to know deeply these last few years, but they could also see the wealth of difference these last few months had brought. But the result of those differences wasn't just the red coloration of her cutie mark, the hidden fangs, or even the crimson coloring of her eyes. Rather, it was the intensity now held in those eyes, a sharpness that hadn't existed before. It was a cooled fury that revealed the deep changes within her, and they found that they could no longer tell whether it was more Twilight or Ruby behind those fierce eyes. So much had happened to Twilight, and they knew more was to come even after they defeated Night Walker. This was just a beginning, and they could only wonder what it would mean for all of them.

Twilight took a breath, and then turned away from the balcony to look at them. "I have enough magic to safely teleport us four times." The girls straightened their postures as they listened. "The first one will get us to the cliffside above Canterlot where I'll have a better view. The second will bring us in the open air towards the north, and it'll be our distraction. Celestia will probably figure out what's happening quickly when the first teleport triggers the wards, so we need to leave a false magical trail. The third will bring us back to the ground and towards the east so we're pointed towards Fillydelphia. I'll only do a fourth one if Celestia manages to trace our direction after the third jump."

The girls nodded in understanding, and they readied themselves. Apprehension filled them, but it was oddly soothing. They were about to face their most dangerous foe, but at least they were together now, even if two of them would be in spirit. For a moment, it felt like they were simply saddling up for just another adventure like they had done so many times before.

"Ready?" Twilight asked. Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash nodded in reply, and when they grouped closely around her, Twilight flared her horn. "Here we go."

Building the magic so it enveloped the four of them, Twilight looked to one of Canterlot Mountain's cliff edges high above the city, and she easily spotted a clear spot for them. With an audible crackle that came from the pooling magic, Twilight let loose her power, and they flashed with a resounding pop. In one jarring moment they appeared on the ledge where the warmth of the castle room had been traded for a chilling wind. While Applejack and Rainbow Dash blinked in disorientation from the sudden darkness, Rarity was keenly scanning their surroundings. Twilight briefly looked back to see a series of lit rune marks appear around the castle, and she shivered at the lingering magic the wards left on her, a trailing magical mark that would allow others to trace her for some time.

"Grab on," Twilight said as she flared her horn again, and the girls latched onto her. With a second pop, they found themselves on the other side of the mountain, where Canterlot's lights did not reach, and also high above the ground in the open air. Applejack instinctively screamed as she pawed at the air beneath her hooves. Rainbow Dash flared her wings to slow their descent as much as she could, but Twilight was already flaring her horn again while looking to the east. With a third pop, they were on the ground once again and near a forest's edge.

Rarity immediately detached herself and looked back towards the mountain. Its distant figure contrasted against the stars behind it, and although its looming silhouette seemed far away, they were still much too close for comfort.

Leaving Applejack as she made peace with the ground despite Rainbow Dash's snickering, Twilight joined Rarity's side, and they both concentrated on the mountain intensely. The ward's lingering magic was but all gone now, and Twilight felt certain that Celestia wouldn't be able to pinpoint their mid-air transition in time. But when a white light suddenly shined at the mountains peak, Twilight's breath caught in her throat. A moment passed as the light hovered in place, and then it began to flicker from the casting of spells.

 _Please go back, please go back…_

After a few tense seconds, the light suddenly descended the mountain's side at a frightening pace, causing it to look like a comet with a trailing white flame. Twilight's jaw dropped as she watched the blazing speck zoom down and then pull away from the mountain to tear across the sky, its direction fixed towards the north.

 _She isn't going back… Why isn't she going back?_

 _~You know why, Twilight...~_

 _She's leaving Canterlot vulnerable,_ Twilight replied as she followed the distant blaze. _Go back! Please, go back!_

Twilight gasped as the light flared once again, and then impossibly exploded forward with a terrifying speed. The echoing boom reached her ears moments after, along with a rush of wind that had almost sounded like a distraught voice calling out. The light quickly vanished over the landscape, leaving Twilight stunned within the dark.

"Looks like she fell for it," Rarity commented. "We better get moving in case she comes back." Rarity turned, but paused when she saw Twilight still staring up into the sky. "Twilight."

"Huh?" Twilight said as she turned to look at her. She flinched when she saw how close Rarity's hoof was to her face.

"You're crying," Rarity said quietly as she wiped away the tears that Twilight hadn't realized were there. "We'll talk about it on the way, but right now we need to move."

Twilight numbly nodded, and let Rarity to guide her forward.

"Not all of us can see in the dark you know," Rainbow Dash complained as she waved a hoof towards them. "Is it safe enough to get some light?"

Rarity faintly lit her horn, and she motioned for Applejack and Rainbow Dash to stick close to her.

"Twi, you alr-" Applejack began to say, but she was cut off by Rarity's shaking head.

"Let's focus on moving for now, shall we?" Rarity stated.

"R-Right, lead the way."

With Twilight in the middle to recollect her thoughts, Rainbow Dash and Applejack flanked her sides, and Rarity took the lead as they walked east.

* * *

At another place, a cloaked stallion held an amused smile while watching the sky. The white light that rocketed from Canterlot and then vanished on the other side of the mountain was unmistakable, and he chuckled at its implications. He raised his hoof and shadows began to coalesce, swirling about before depositing a thin, wrapped parcel in his hoof when they vanished. Standing before a mailbox, he pushed the slot open and slid the package through, smiling to himself as he listened to the resounding thud it made within the bin. He then turned around and began walking into the dark night, softly humming an old tune.


	49. Chapter 49

Stirring from her sleep, Twilight slowly opened her eyes. The sun was well above the horizon, but thanks to the cover of the forest its rays hadn't disturbed her. She looked to her sleeping friends close by and listened to their gentle snores. The scents of the forest coupled with the sounds of her friends were soothing to Twilight, so much that she was tempted to let herself drift back to sleep.

 _~Hmmm…. not a bad idea...~_

Twilight perked her ears forward in surprise, but then relaxed and nestled her chin back into the soft grass. _I forgot what that was like._

Ruby yawned before she replied, _~Hmmm? Forgot what?~_

 _Waking up when you did, back when I was on the inside. It started when you gave me more connections back at the penthouse. It felt like I was part of a dream that became real whenever you woke up._ Twilight blinked slowly, reminiscing on the memory. _It was kinda of nice._

 _~Yeah, I guess it is. Falling back asleep is more comforting alongside another pony, especially when you can feel their sleepiness. It makes you wanna drift right back with them...~_

 _Yeah…_

Twilight stared at the nearby trees, simply enjoying the moment as she slowly woke from the dreamlike state. She turned her attention inward to Ruby, noting the sensations their connections made as Ruby herself woke up. Though Twilight wanted to enjoy the unique sensation, the ever-rising sun caused her to look up, and she sighed as she reluctantly rose to her hooves.

 _How much longer do you think we should let them sleep in?_

 _~Just a little bit more, I think. We made good distance last night despite your breakdown.~_

Twilight frowned. _Come again?_

Ruby shared her memories, and Twilight's ears fell at the flashing images.

 _I… I'm so-_

 _~You don't need to apologize,~_ Ruby interrupted. _~It had hit you hard, made you numb the entire night. I don't blame you for that. Celestia's important to you.~_

 _Still, this isn't the time for that. I should have been-_

 _~Twilight.~_

 _... Yes?_

 _~Stop.~_ Ruby shifted herself closer, touching Twilight's consciousness while at the same time laying a gentle hoof on their soul. The mirrorscape appeared around them, and Ruby looked directly into Twilight's eyes. _~Stopping Night Walker is important, but you're still just a pony. I know how hard it was for you to do that to Celestia. We all do. You're friends didn't think less of you, so you shouldn't either.~_

Twilight pulled away from the mirrorscape so that she could look to her friends, and she felt her chest quiver. _It's just… I want this to be over… I want all of this to be over._ Twilight bit her lip, and her wings began to shake as well. _Everything is just… I want- Why can't things go back to-_

Suddenly, Ruby flooded over their soul, causing Twilight to let out a gasp. An abnormally warm and peaceful sensation overcame her, sending her troublesome thoughts into disarray as she lost herself in the feeling. The gentle sounds of her friends sleeping came back into focus, and Twilight stared up at the trees in wonder as her mind reeled from the sudden calmness.

After relishing the moment for some time, Twilight blinked in surprise as her awareness slowly returned, and she focused inward. _What did you…_

 _~I calmed you down,~_ Ruby replied with a firm but gentle voice. _~I know, Twilight. I know your feelings, your doubts, your worries… It's going to be okay. Let's just… Let's just get through this, and it'll all be over.~_

Sitting herself down, Twilight stared at her hooves. _Are… Are you okay?_

 _~As good as I can be. I mean, we're only going after the first pony I ever knew and trusted...~_

 _Ruby…_

Ruby drew herself away. _~It's fine. We can focus on me later. Let's just wake your friends up and get moving.~_

Twilight nearly pressed the issue further. She knew she should have. If Ruby was allowed to break through her walls to help her, then she should do the same for Ruby. But if Ruby was also having doubts, or had some buried feeling that would make her break down, Twilight didn't know if she'd be strong enough to not fall into emotional despair along with her.

Twilight grit her teeth, and before Ruby could drift closer to see what she was feeling more clearly, Twilight buried her worries deep, and she took a deep breath. _Ruby?_

 _~Yes?~_

 _When this is over, we have a lot to do._

 _~... Yes, we do.~_

Twilight took another breath, magically pulled out her wide brimmed sun hat from her bag, and then looked to her friends.

* * *

"Hey AJ, hit me with an apple," Rainbow Dash said.

Applejack paused for a moment to rummage through her saddle before tossing a bright red apple into the air. "There ya go."

Rainbow Dash swooped over to catch it, and then settled into a leisurely hovering pace above the girls. "Thanks. So, how far was Fillydelphia again?"

"About two days of walking if you're on a road," Twilight replied, tactfully moving herself out from beneath Rainbow Dash. "But we don't have to reach the city itself. The rendezvous point Ruby had made with Mist Hoof is a bit outside of the city limits. If we're lucky we might make it by tomorrow night." Twilight looked upward at a break in the tree canopy to see the towering mountains in the distance. "As long as we keep the Foal Mountains on our left, we should be able to find the spot with no problems. The mountain range ends just a few miles away from Fillydelphia's farms."

Rainbow Dash was silent for some moments with the exception of her loud eating. "This is going to be a long walk."

"Do you really think Mist Hoof will know where Night Walker is?" Applejack asked.

"I'm not sure," Twilight replied. "But it's our best chance at figuring it out."

The four of them walked in silence for some time, and then Applejack said, "Twalight?"

"Yes?"

"Ah know how important this is, and trust me when Ah say Ah'm with ya every step of the way…"

Twilight stopped and turned to Applejack, as did Rainbow Dash and Rarity.

Applejack began to nervously rub a hoof behind her head. "Facing Night Walker with just the four of us sounded pretty good last night, but now that Ah've been thinking about it, shouldn't we have gone with the Princesses and the guards?"

"Are you saying we can't handle this?" Rainbow Dash asked with a mouth of apple.

"Ah didn't say that. It's just… this isn't like the other times, is it?"

Rainbow Dash swallowed and open her mouth to speak again, but Twilight spoke before her. "No, this isn't like the other times. And to be honest, I have a feeling Night Walker is expecting me to do this."

Both Applejack and Rainbow Dash looked to her in surprise, and Twilight turned her gaze downwards. "Night Walker is dangerous, and he's only becoming more dangerous each day. Ideally, I'd like to take him down with an entire army." Twilight narrowed her eyes. "He's a monster, capable of awful things. If he wanted to, he could attack any town and kill all its inhabitants."

Rainbow Dash landed beside Applejack, and both of them paled at the words. Applejack gulped. "T-Then all the more reason to bring everything we've got, right?"

"No, I don't think so," Twilight replied. Ignoring the shocked looks, she continued, "If Night Walker _had_ done something like that then I'd be marching for him with the entirety of the guard right now."

"But he hasn't," Rarity said, and Twilight nodded.

"What the hay difference does that make?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"All the difference," Twilight replied as she lifted her head. "It's been bothering me for a while now, the way Night Walker has been going about things. He's been leaving too many openings for us to use against him. He could have killed all of you the night he turned me, spawned new vamponies to overtake Dusktown in one move, never returned my memories… It's like he's been purposefully leaving things to chance, all while working towards some unknown goal."

"Raising an army of vamponies and taking over Equestria sounds like a pretty clear goal," Rainbow Dash said.

"And if that's all it was, he could have gone about it a hundred different ways that would have made more sense," Twilight replied. "I can't put my hoof on it, but it's precisely how he's done the things he's done that makes me think I should face him now, before anything else happens."

Rarity stepped forward. "You know very well it could be a trap."

"Yes, I know."

"You can't possibly predict the actions of a madpony, no matter how tame they might seem."

"I know…"

"And you still want to face him?"

Twilight sighed. "Yes, I do… I need to figure out what he's planning for Equestria… And for me… Leaving Mist Hoof and the others at the rendezvous point, letting Lunar Pearl come and find me… I think he wants me to meet him."

"What if he kills you?" Applejack asked, furrowing her brow. "If everything you said is true then why are ya wanting to meet him like this and on his terms?"

Twilight closed her eyes to take a deep breath, and after some moments, opened her eyes again. "I need to do this. Ruby _and_ I need to do this. I know it seems foalish but I need to figure out what's going on before any more ponies are killed. I'm sorry, normally I have pretty good reasons for why I'm doing things, but this time… It's just something I feel needs to be done."

Her friends all exchanged glances with one another before turning back to Twilight, and while Rainbow Dash and Applejack still looked uneasy, they all gave a single nod towards Twilight.

"Well, at least we slept on it," Applejack said. She tucked her hat downward and shifted her saddle into a more comfortable position. "Alright then, let's get going."

* * *

As the sun was setting on the horizon, the four of them stopped within a thicket of woods to set up camp. With Twilight's teleportation they had covered more ground than expected and they estimated that they would most likely reach their destination by noon tomorrow. But the magical effort coupled with the sun's rays was tiring, and the other girls were exhausted from traveling the majority of the previous night.

Twilight was busy fanning herself with her hat, watching the darkening horizon with a longing gaze when Rainbow Dash returned with a bundle of sticks.

"This should be enough, right?"

"Set 'em on the side for when I get it going," Applejack replied after adjusting the last rock of the fire pit. Pulling out a match from her saddlebag, Applejack struck it alight and placed it into the kindling, nurturing the flame with her breath until it grew large enough for more wood.

Rainbow Dash stretched her legs before setting down on the grass beside the beginning fire. "So, who are these bat ponies we're meeting?"

"That's right, I've forgotten you've never met them," Rarity said.

"They're alright, Ah suppose," Applejack said, not having taken her eyes away from the fire. "Rares and Ah only met them briefly, though. Ruby's probably the best one to answer that question."

Twilight flicked her ears in surprise, and the feeling was shared by Ruby.

~Wow, they weren't kidding about including me, were they?~

 _That's just the kind of friends they are,_ Twilight replied with pride.

 _~Well then, repeat after me...~_

Twilight cleared her throat and cocked her head to the side to listen while her friends made themselves comfortable around the fire.

"The bat ponies we're meeting up with are Mist Hoof, Ebon Wing, Willow Shade, Cloud Shadow, and Ember Mane. They were some of the best bat ponies in the refugee group, and they were the ones who fought alongside Applejack and Rarity in the yard."

"How was it they were there anyways?" Applejack asked.

"They were secretly following me, I mean, Ruby, even though she ordered them not to. They weren't willing to leave her on her own so they decided to stay within the shadows when she went out that night to meet you three at the motel."

"Must be pretty good if you never noticed them," Rainbow Dash mumbled.

Applejack and Twilight frowned in confusion, but Rarity spoke before them. "You need to stop blaming yourself for that night, Rainbow. We all know you would have been there fighting harder than any of us."

Rainbow Dash merely snorted in reply, and at Rarity's recommendation, Twilight continued.

"Mist Hoof is an older bat pony, and the second turned vampony. His wounds were so serious after the fight that he needed to be transformed in order to survive."

"Good to hear he lived, though Ah can't say it's under good terms," Applejack said. "Ah thought he was alright in my book. He sure treated me and Rares well."

"He was polite," Rarity said.

Twilight smiled and nodded in agreement. "Of all the ponies that _I_ personally remember while inside of Ruby, I have to say Mist Hoof was probably one of the best. He was kind, willing to fight for the sake of others, and was always looking out for the ponies around him."

"Shame he has to survive on blood now," Applejack said after a sigh.

"Well, only if he wants to, remember? The new vamponies don't have to drink blood. They just need to drink if they want to use any of their powers."

"Oh right, Ah forgot."

"Though, I still need to take a closer look at them when I get the chance. Even though they are supposed to be free of defects and not require blood, I still want to confirm it. Anyways, then there's Ebon Wing." Twilight paused as she cocked her head before continuing. "He's the youngest among them, only just entering stallionhood. And though he's a little timid at times, he's good enough to hold his own. But the thing that makes him different from the others is his innate ability. He's the only known bat pony right now that is able to hide himself within shadows."

"What, like, turn black or something?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Twilight shook her head. "No, I mean he's able to literally wrap shadows around himself and vanish from sight. Being born with magic like that is incredibly rare these days, but it used to be somewhat common back in the past."

"So it's because of his vampony ancestry then?" Applejack asked.

"I think so, though Night Walker mentioned there was vampony magic and shadow magic. To be honest, Ruby and I never learned the difference between the two so I can't say. In fact, we didn't learn any new magic aside from Soul Sight."

Applejack wrinkled her nose as she prodded the embers with a stick. "Probably for the better if you ask me." Satisfied with the fire, Applejack began setting larger pieces of wood onto the flames, brightening their camp now that the sun was gone.

A thoughtful look passed over Twilight's face, but she dismissed it quickly. "As for the others, Willow Shade and Cloud Shadow are two fillyhood friends, but you'd think they were sisters at first. They're both rambunctious, mischievous, and always trying to outperform the other. You'd probably get along with them, Rainbow Dash."

"Yeah? They any good at flying?"

Twilight smiled. "I never got to see them show their stuff in a race, but I'm sure they'd love the challenge."

Rainbow Dash smirked. "Cool."

"And lastly is Ember Mane. To be honest I don't know too much about him. He's the quiet type, so much so that Ruby wasn't able to get many words out of him whenever she talked to him."

"Was he that fellow that came in at the end of the fight?" Applejack asked. After a quick recount with Ruby, Twilight nodded. "He looked pretty worn out when he joined up with us. He must have been fighting the whole time while the rest of us were sneaking around trying to find you."

"Hmm," Twilight replied. "Ruby says it wouldn't surprise her if that was the case. Each of them are tough in their own right, just like all the bat ponies that she came to know." Twilight frowned for a moment, but then gave a gentle laugh. "Ruby and I have some differing opinions on how things came to be with them, but we both agree on how we feel towards the bat ponies, though Ruby's a bit more connected." Twilight stared into the fire with a smile. "They've been through so much, and though I don't agree with them on leaving Dusktown, it was still a choice that required a lot of courage. They've waited a thousand years for help, so I guess I can't honestly say that I blame them anymore for taking the first chance that came, even if it was a poor one. Not while they're facing everything plaguing them…"

Twilight narrowed her eyes, and when she spoke again, the others instinctively knew it was Ruby's words. "They're strong, loyal, and only want happiness for themselves. They were promised that happiness in return for surrendering themselves so that no more blood would be shed. They were willing to work towards peace. And because of that, they could have new dreams, dreams that I want to make come true for them. I want the ponies who have given everything to me, their trust, their hope… even their lives… I want to see them cured. I want them to be free."

The fire crackled as they all sat in the silence following Ruby's statement, and for a time, they searched themselves for their feelings on the matter. Then, Twilight spoke for Ruby again. "We're going to end their pain. We are going to kill Night Walker and turn them into vamponies. _Good_ vamponies that will only take blood when it is willingly given and to protect others. I'm going to take them away from Dusktown and show them sights they've only read about. They'll be able to travel on their own, see any part of Equestria they desire, and never again be trapped behind walls." Twilight nodded in agreement on the matter, transfixed by Ruby's proclamation as much as the others were. "They'll be able to see new forests, towns, mountains, and even Twilight's drooling face against-"

Twilight snapped her jaw shut and her face became beat red.

 _What are you doing!?_

 _~Well, besides saying what I wanted to say, and I do mean to do everything that I said, I wanted to see if I could get you to say something if you weren't paying too much attention. I have to get my fun in some way.~_

"Huh, Twalight? What's that about-"

"Nothing! Nothing at all! Forget it!" Twilight hastily stood up and moved away from the fire. "I'm just going to take a quick look at Ruby's connections! I-I think something went wrong and I need to fix it!"

 _~It's too funny how you become embarrassed at the smallest things.~_

 _Shush!_

Without look back, Twilight sat herself just shy of the campfires light and sighed, enjoying the relief in her eyes. Looking out into the darkness, noting the various details of the forest that she saw so easily, she asked, _I did want to talk to you about everything that you just said, though._

Ruby drew herself closer and spoke quietly, _~I wanted to talk, too. I guess this was just the first good opportunity to express it.~_

Twilight sighed and looked downwards at her hooves. _It's a lot of responsibility, isn't it? Looking after an entire race of ponies…_

 _~You still have trouble imagining being a princess, don't you?~_

Twilight nodded, and she shared her memories on the matter. The feeling of pressure that came from leadership, something far different than the pressure of completing a homework assignment or even saving Equestria. It was terribly worrying to be responsible for so many ponies, and incredibly strange to have all those ponies treat you differently than they did before. Twilight's thoughts drifted to how she'd seen ponies treat the princesses, the majority of them acting just as she had when she was a filly. There was awe, respect, but also distance. Celestia was the epitome of what it meant to be a pony, an idol of light that radiated compassion, authority, and wisdom. Twilight shared her feelings towards Ruby in ways that she might have never been able to express with words if she tried, emotions that reached beyond description.

 _All of that… To think that any pony could look at me like that. That they could depend on me so much and trust in me so much to handle things…_

 _~It's overwhelming.~_

Twilight closed her eyes as she sniffed. _Yeah…_

Ruby's presence filled Twilight, and Twilight tilted her head as though she could rest it upon Ruby's shoulder. _~I felt the same too. I still do now,~_ Ruby spoke sweetly. _~Having the responsibility of all the bat ponies thrust onto me when I had only just seen the sky for the first time in my life, I felt like I was dreaming as my hooves were swept from beneath me. It felt like that nearly every single day.~_

Memories of the cave trickled into Twilight's mind, and she let herself be immersed in the emotions they brought. The wonderment of seeing the world for the first time, the way a heart quivers at unbridled kindness and love, the kind of love one gives to a pony that they trust and admire. Though it was brief, Ruby had been treated like a princess, but not in the same way as Celestia, Luna, or even Cadance. There were hardly any instances where the bat ponies bowed to Ruby when she walked in, or gave her generic and harmless answers when she asked them about their day. They were honest with her, they laughed with her, and at times even sparred with her, attacking with all their might. That rush of battle with them where they saw her as one of their own and not just an idol that should only be praised from a distance, it filled Ruby with such joy and love that she could hardly believe that this was her life. That they were her ponies, and that she was their pony as well.

Ruby shared nestled memories and emotions, and Twilight found it difficult to not openly cry at feeling those moments as Ruby had felt them. Then, in the wake of her sorrow, memories slowly turned to the moments in the field where Twilight had attacked Ruby in fury, and before everything spiraled out of control, Ruby pulled back and flooded Twilight with calmness.

 _~Twilight, it's okay, shhhh.~_

 _How could I have done that to you? How could-_

Ruby's voice wavered, but she kept the calming sensation going. _~It's okay, Twilight… It's okay… You suffered as well… It's okay...~_

Twilight wrapped her hooves around herself as she shuddered, letting Ruby's influence slowly relieve the anxiety that appeared until Twilight could breathe easily again. She sat still for a long time, letting her mind pick itself back together from the wave of calm, forcing herself to not dwell on the cause of the downward spiral too closely lest she return to it.

 _I'm sorry… Thank you…_

 _~Any time. We're together now, and we'll take care of each other when they need it.~_

Twilight smirked. _Just as long as you actually let me do the same for you, then I'm perfectly fine with that._

They shared a comforting silence with one another, simply enjoying the company of the other without words before a polite cough sounded behind them. Turning around, Twilight saw Rarity standing a short distance away.

"How are you doing?" Rarity asked.

Twilight stared in wonderment at how close Rarity had managed to get without her noticing, but she quickly dashed the concern and smiled warmly at her instead. "I'm doing okay. Just… Handling things with Ruby."

"Do you mind if I join you?"

"I'd like that."

Rarity quietly stepped forward and sat herself beside Twilight, and together the two of them looked out into the forest.

"What's it like being able to see at night?" Rarity asked.

"It's like it's day time for me and I've put on a pair of glasses I hadn't known I needed," Twilight replied. "Are you able to see any easier?"

"A little."

Falling into silence, the two of them continued to stare out into the forest, swiveling their ears whenever an animal made a noise or when Rainbow Dash chewed too loudly.

"We were talking about being a princess," Twilight said suddenly. "About being a princess for the bat ponies."

"And what did you two decide on?"

"Nothing yet. The idea of being a princess still kind of scares me. But if it's for the bat ponies, I think it might be okay. They treat royalty a bit differently than other ponies do, so that helps."

"Hmm, I do remember you having some difficulty regarding that," Rarity replied, and a smile appeared on her face.

That smile should have been relieving to Twilight, but instead only filled her with worry about whether it was real or not. "If… If you're doing that just for me, you don't have to."

Rarity's face became neutral as she looked to Twilight, and she replied, "I don't think you could convince me not to do it, darling. It helps every pony else, and it also helps me remember what it feels like. If I'm ever to break this curse, I suppose I should remember what it feels like to smile, shouldn't I?"

Twilight's mouth fell open, but before she could say a word, Rarity placed a hoof onto her shoulder, and gave her a wide smile.

"We don't have too much further to go, so let's stay strong until we finish this."

Twilight's ears fell as she bite her lip, and then meekly nodded. "Okay…"

* * *

The sun shone high above, casting sunbeams between the thick foliage of the forest they found themselves in. Their hooves were sore from trekking across hard country these last few days, but the blaring horn of a faraway train ignited their spirits once again, and they knew they were close to their destination. After a quick flight for perspective, Twilight identified the general location along the mountain side, and the four of them searched the forest. They eventually found their target, and were now eyeing the small cave entrance from behind a fallen tree.

They couldn't detect any signs of life around them, nor any movement from within the cave, and so they sat quietly as tension filled the air.

"You sure this is the right place?" Rainbow Dash whispered.

"Positive," Twilight replied.

"It looks like a trap to me," Applejack said.

They stared at it some moments longer.

"What's the plan if things go bad?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Get out of the cave and into the sunlight," Twilight replied. "It's our best chance."

Rainbow Dash gave a satisfied nod and then asked, "You going to be alright?"

"It won't be comfortable, but being an alicorn vampony makes it easier for me. I'll be able to handle it."

Twilight set aside her sun sat beside their unsaddled bags, Applejack uncoiled her rope, Rarity floated her three rapiers to her side, and Rainbow Dash flexed her wings.

"Be careful," Twilight said, and together they stepped out from their cover.

Tentatively crossing the open ground before the cave, they kept their eyes locked onto the dark entrance while simultaneously keeping their awareness about them. There were few places a pony could hide on the outside, but they still eyed the rocks and trees with suspicion. When they came to the actual cave entrance, they paused to look into the dark pathway, feeling the air around them being funneled into it.

"I can't see a thing," Rainbow Dash commented.

Twilight flared her horn. "Better that you two can see and give us away rather than be ambushed without light."

Rainbow Dash frowned at Rarity. "I thought a cave would be too dark for even you to see in."

"It is, dear," Rarity replied. "I'm just capable of fighting with sound alone."

"Oh."

With that, they entered the cave. Guided by Twilight's light, they cautiously stepped through the winding path, taking each turn and bend with trepidation. As they progressed, the signs of habitation became clearer. Judging from the hoof prints on the portion of the floor that was dirt, it looked like a small group of ponies had been here for a time, and Twilight felt Ruby stir in hesitant anticipation as well at what they might find.

But when they entered a large chamber filled with boulders and they saw nowhere else to go, they paused. The silence was deafening this deep in the cave, and they looked about in concern. Having reached the end, Twilight flooded the chamber with light, and her and Rarity's ears perked at the quiet hisses that came from around them. Twilight built a pool of magic in her horn, Rarity brought her rapiers to point, and within moments Applejack and Rainbow Dash readied themselves too.

A voice called out. "Ruby?"

Twilight lowered the intensity of the light, and she relaxed her guard. "Mist Hoof?"

Stepping out from a crevice, a greying stallion appeared. "Ruby! It is you!"

Twilight gave a sorrowful smile, but she let her pooling magic fade away and reduced her light further to a more comfortable level. Applejack and Rainbow Dash relaxed as well, but Rarity only lowered the points of her rapiers.

"It's Ruby, everypony!" Mist Hoof called out, and four ponies materialized into view. Rainbow Dash flinched from Ebon Wing who literally appeared from the shadow of a rock on her right. It was just as Lunar Pearl had said. Mist Hoof, Ebon Wing, Willow Shade, Cloud Shadow, and Ember Mane had waited for her, and at once the group of bat ponies trotted towards her.

"A bit late, aren't you?" Mist Hoof replied with a smug grin.

Twilight's cheeks became red as she rubbed her leg with a hoof. "Sorry, a lot's happened."

"I can imagine."

"Is she going to put those away or what?" Cloud Shadow asked while giving Rarity a guarded look.

Twilight looked to Rarity and her still hovering rapiers, and gave a pleading nod, which Rarity only obliged after giving each bat pony and their surroundings one last glance.

"And here I thought you remembered us," Cloud Shadow said.

"I do. I'm just not as trusting these days."

Mist Hoof raised an eyebrow at that, but then turned his attention to Twilight. "Night Walker and the others left some time ago."

"I'm aware," Twilight replied. "I'm not sure if you know, but he also attacked Dusktown."

The bat ponies gave a look of shock, and then Cloud Shadow and Willow Shade both grinned. Willow Shade said, "Alright, the boss is moving things along. Hey, do you know if a pony called Thread Weave joined up?"

"Girls," Mist Hoof spoke in an authoritative tone, and he gave them a glance that silenced them. "First things first." He turned his attention back to Twilight and gave her a gaze that caused her ears to flatten. "Before we do anything else, there's something that needs to be settled first. Are you Ruby, or are you Twilight?"


	50. Chapter 50

_Far away are hidden lives,_  
 _With crumbling souls and painful sighs._  
 _Their past covered, for blood it took._  
 _Buried, forgotten, and not in any book._

 _But what once was their curse,_  
 _Has become their salvation._  
 _Now all that remains,_  
 _Is the Shadow's temptation._

Twilight's breathing became shallow as Mist Hoof waited for her reply. Her mind raced back and forth, weighing the result of either answers. To further her panic, Ruby was alongside her, rapidly considering the outcomes while being torn on her desire to reveal her existence. But as frantic as their internal deliberation was, it was brief, and Twilight and Ruby came to a decision. Twilight licked her dry mouth as she answered in trepidation, "I… I'm Twilight."

Mist Hoof's gaze intensified while the other bat ponies widened their eyes.

"So it is true," Willow Shade said quietly, and she regarded Twilight with an uncertain expression. "Night Walker did trick you into believing you were our princess."

"Of course he did!" Rainbow Dash retorted. "You think she _wanted_ to have all of this happen?"

Applejack placed a hoof on Rainbow Dash's shoulder. "Rainbow, now's probably not the time for—"

"No, I'm sick of this!" Rainbow Dash replied as she shrugged off Applejack's hoof, and then marched up to Willow Shade. "She's not _your_ princess and she shouldn't be a vampony either! And even worse, you're telling me you're actually happy that your _boss_ , A.K.A. the feather-headed ****, attacked Dusktown? What the hay is wrong with you ponies?"

Willow Shade's look of shock at Rainbow Dash's close proximity and shouting quickly turned into a snarl, and she threw open her leathery wings. Rainbow Dash responded by flaring her wings out as well, but before either could reply, Cloud Shadow forced herself between the two of them and glared at Rainbow Dash.

"Hey!" Cloud Shadow shouted as she poked Rainbow Dash's chest with a hoof. "And where do you get off yelling at us? Do you even know what we've been through?"

"Yeah, I do," Rainbow Dash replied, practically growling as she matched Cloud Shadow's glare. "We were just at Dusktown a few days ago. It's horrible and awful, I get it. But it doesn't mean you get to get away with all the crap you've been doing. Ponies have died!"

"We were dying!" Cloud Shadow replied.

"And then you all tricked Twilight!" Rainbow Dash continued as she spoke over her. She then pointed a hoof towards Twilight. "Night Walker used her! He's messed with her and turned her into a… a… an experiment! What he did to her was sick! He's done nothing but awful things to her, not to mention all the other ponies he's broken or killed, and you're still supporting him?"

"Why you—"

"Cloud Shadow, Willow Shade!" Mist Hoof shouted.

Despite their snarling faces, Cloud Shadow and Willow Shade fell quiet, and they huddled closer together while giving Rainbow Dash dirty looks.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes at them and opened her mouth to speak again before Twilight spoke in a calm voice, "Rainbow Dash, that's enough."

"But they—"

" _Enough_ ", Twilight said, and Rainbow Dash's ears fell from the tone of Twilight's voice. Letting out a 'tsk', Rainbow Dash retreated back to Applejack's side, quietly mumbling to herself as she shot glares back at the two mares.

Throughout the confrontation, neither Mist Hoof nor Twilight broke eye contact with each other, and they continued to stare at one another in deep contemplation. Though, despite Twilight's earlier command and tone, her nervousness was very apparent, and she waited with lowered ears for Mist Hoof to speak.

"So then," Mist Hoof eventually said. "This entire time you were actually Princess Twilight."

"...Yes."

"Night Walker tricked you into thinking you were our princess?"

"Putting it mildly… Yes"

"And Ruby was just a false personality?"

Twilight flinched from a flash of pain within her, and she meekly replied, "Yes…"

"I see."

Mist Hoof then took a deep breath, and sighed as if a weight had been removed from him. "I'm glad we got that cleared up."

"Ruby isn't gone!" Twilight quickly said, hoping they would at least listen to what she had to say. "She's still here, inside me. She isn't gone and she wasn't fake!"

Surprised expressions passed over the bat ponies faces, including Mist Hoof's, and Twilight stepped forward towards them with pleading eyes. "She's inside me just like I was inside her since this started. The cave, the train, the penthouse, everything! I was there for all of it, watching from the inside. And when Night Walker returned my memories Ruby and I somehow switched places, so she's inside of me now, but she's still alive and she loves you all. She's the reason why I'm here." Twilight's voice became shakier as she stepped closer. "She misses you and loves you. And I… I don't know what you might still think of her, but she still wants to be your princess!"

Feeling as if short of breath, Twilight's chest quivered as she spoke her next words. "She… _we_ still want to be your princess. We only want the best for you…" She brought a hoof to her chest and gripped where she felt Ruby twisting inside of her, unable to express herself to the bat ponies. "She still loves you, and she wants to protect you. We both do..."

But the more Twilight tried to speak, the harder she found it to breathe, and she closed her eyes as she paused. Ruby was in turmoil inside of her, twisting about in anxiety at how the situation was developing, and its toll was high on Twilight. The two of them had previously considered that Mist Hoof and the others might choose Night Walker instead of them, but those thoughts had always been pushed aside in hopes that it would never come to pass. They never truly thought it was something that would actually happen, but now that dreadful thought was eating away at their hearts, gnawing a hole in the control that Ruby had so desperately maintained and it gnawed at a hole within Ruby that she had so desperately tried to keep in control since her existence had changed.

Then, Twilight's ears flicked at the sound of approaching hoof steps, and when she opened her eyes she gasped at the sight of Mist Hoof and the others kneeling before her.

Mist Hoof lifted his head to look up to her, and he smiled. "I know you don't like formalities or bowing, but we're still here to serve you, Princess."

Stunned, Twilight's legs buckled, and tears fell freely as she stared at them. Deep within her, something had torn itself open, something that had been bottled away and hidden from her consciousness despite the restored connections. Twilight herself was overcome with joy at the bat ponies' decision to choose them instead of Night Walker, but it hardly compared to the emotions that rushed forth from Ruby. She had figured Ruby had been keeping her most severe emotional pains away from her, burying it as deeply as she could from herself and Twilight while she focused on her singular goal of finding the bat ponies. But now that that goal was achieved, her suppressed feelings flowed with abandon, and every stored fear, worry, and painful thought came forward vividly. Even Twilight was overwhelmed by it all.

Falling to her knees, Twilight began to bawl, for both her and Ruby.

Ruby's normally clear thoughts became wordless waves of emotion, and despite Twilight's desire to hold them for Ruby as Ruby had done so many times for her, she found it too difficult to manage them.

Twilight became dimly aware of Applejack's reassuring hoof stroking her back, and she leaned closer for comfort. But her ears pricked up again when Mist Hoof came closer, and she looked up to him through her blurry vision.

His worry was apparent, but he still smiled warmly towards her as he sat down in front of her.

Ruby's desire was immediately felt, and Twilight acted on it at once, throwing her hooves around Mist Hoof as she cried into his chest. "S-She's still here!" Twilight said between her sobs. "She was so worried, and she never gave up on you! Even when I was aw-awful to her! She never stopped! She never stopped fighting so hard for you all. You have to believe me! She never gave you up!"

"I do," Mist Hoof said as he gently placed a hoof on Twilight's mane. "We all do."

Twilight partially registered the moment when Applejack pulled her hoof away, but she was more than aware when the rest of the bat ponies surrounded her and gave gentle touches of comfort.

Willow Shade and Cloud Shadow were particularly affectionate as they pressed their heads against hers, and Twilight eagerly pressed back against them.

"Come on," Willow Shade said. "Do you really think we'd leave you? You're stuck as our princess. No getting out of it."

"That's right," Cloud Shadow added. "Couldn't imagine anypony else filling that role."

Twilight peeked up at them all while still holding Mist Hoof tightly, and though Ebon Wing and Ember Mane hadn't spoken yet, she saw them give her nervous but heartfelt smiles.

"T-Thank you!" Twilight exclaimed. "Ruby is so… Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you..."

Twilight let herself be enveloped by their embrace, intent on relishing every moment of this reunion for Ruby, who in turn gave whispered thanks to her amidst her own internal cries as she felt the bat ponies' touch through Twilight's connection. Twilight was overjoyed for Ruby, even more so now that Ruby was no longer holding anything back from her. She had been comforted by Ruby more than enough, and now, she could finally support her in turn.

Meanwhile, Ruby lost herself between the phantom touches of the bat ponies and Twilight's warm and supportive consciousness. For her, it was as if every finally felt normal again, just like the times when there was only her, the bat ponies, and the cave; when the world made sense and it was filled with love. She felt whole again. The bat ponies still cared for her and still considered her to be their princess. They were still her ponies and she was theirs.

* * *

"Wow, these are delicious!" Willow Shade and Cloud Shadow both exclaimed after biting into their apples "Like, amazingly delicious!"

Applejack let out a laugh. "We'll, there's more where that came from. Brought 'em with me on our visit to Dusktown and there were plenty left over for this here trip. They're grade A apples from Sweet Apple Acres."

"We are definitely visiting there," Cloud Shadow said, to which Willow Shade eagerly nodded in agreement.

Applejack looked over to Ebon Wing and Ember Mane who also seemed to be enjoying the apples. "Well? You two like 'em?"

Ebon Wing gave a bashful nod, and Ember Mane politely swallowed before replying, "Yeah, they're really good."

"Good?" Cloud Shadow said. "These are amazing! Sure beats all the plums we've been surviving off of. I got tired of those days ago."

"Like a plum would ever hold up to these babies," Rainbow Dash remarked in between loud crunches as she chewed on her apple.

Applejack glared at her, but Cloud Shadow and Willow Shade had heard it.

"Uh yeah, that's why I said it," Cloud Shadow said.

"Good," Rainbow Dash replied. "Glad to you know that you can sometimes tell when something's right."

Before the three of them could start again, they were silenced by stares from Twilight and Mist Hoof, and they began to eat quietly while glaring at each other.

After Twilight and Ruby's reconciliation with the bat ponies, Twilight wanted to take some time to go over personal matters with Ruby and her newly resurgent feelings. But due to Ruby's insistence, along with the rest of the group's grumbling stomachs, Twilight relented under the promise they would speak in detail later on.

The entire group had then gathered in a circle to exchange information while having lunch. Twilight had just finished recounting everything that had happened to her and Ruby since they had left the penthouse. She tentatively went into the details of the nature of the bond she and Ruby currently shared, reassuring her audience every few minutes that Ruby was as real as any of them and of how much they meant to her. To her constant relief, the bat ponies were more than accepting on the matter, and openly spoke to both Twilight and Ruby, with Twilight conveying Ruby's words of course.

Twilight then continued to talk about Lunar Pearl's surprising appearance, their visit to Dusktown, and finally their trek to the cave. And while the reunion had been a mostly peaceful and touching affair, everypony was beginning to become accustomed to stopping the incessant spats between Rainbow and the two bat mares.

"Why don't I start with what happened after you gave your orders," Mist Hoof suggested now that it was his turn to give their side of things. Before that however, he gave one last glare to Cloud Shadow and Willow Shade who wore smug smiles as if they just came up with a new insult to throw at Rainbow Dash.

Twilight caught his glare, and she too gave a disapproving look at the two mares, and they both lowered their tuft ears at receiving a scolding from her as well. Twilight felt out of place giving discipline in Ruby's stead, but she was really beginning to get tired of their bickering. She even glanced at Rainbow Dash to make sure she wasn't about to take advantage by making fun of the bat mares latest trouble.

 _~Relax. They're going to be fine.~_

 _Are you kidding? They've been at each other's throat every chance they get. Well, not literally, but you know what I mean._

 _~I know, and I'm telling you to relax. It's okay. They're going to be good friends, eventually.~_

 _How in Equestria do you think they are going to be friends? I'm the Princess of Friendship, remember? I think I would know if they were becoming friends or not._

 _~And you're also the Princess of Bat Ponies, or Vamponies, depending on how you want to call it. Which means that I'm also a Princess of Friendship, and I'm telling you they are going to be good friends.~_ Ruby gave a laugh as she looked at the three mares through Twilight's eyes. _~Like I said before, Rainbow Dash would make a good vampony.~_

 _Ruby…_

 _~I know, I know. What I meant is that she would fit in just fine. They may not know it yet, but they are going to get along great. Just give them time.~_

"Twilight?" Mist Hoof asked.

Twilight snapped to and turned to Mist Hoof. "Oh, sorry. I was just speaking with Ruby."

"Ah," Mist Hoof replied. "That's uh… quite a situation the two of you are in."

"It's been interesting to say the least," Twilight replied. "Anyways, you were saying?"

"Right, after your orders." Mist Hoof cleared his voice. "We gathered everypony up as quickly as we could and began evacuating. We left out the back side of the tower while you and Rainbow Dash handled things in the front. I informed Night Walker and Shade Flare right away what was happening, and he had me and the rest of us here ensure no pony would follow us to the rendezvous point. We waited until everypony had left the tower before I sent them," Mist Hoof motioned to Ebon Wing, Ember Mane, Cloud Shadow, and Willow Shade, "to ensure the group made it without any problems. I was about to go myself after one last sweep of the tower when a blinding light suddenly came from the side you were on. I came to investigate to see if I could help you and Night Walker out."

Mist Hoof leaned forward. "I perched myself near the top of the penthouse to get a look of things before jumping in, and you can imagine my surprise when I saw Princess Celestia. Shade Flare and a pegasus were still fighting off in the distance, but I wasn't able to focus on them for long. You, Princess Celestia, and Night Walker talked for a bit, but I couldn't hear any pony's voice except Princess Celestia's of course."

Twilight and Ruby recalled the moment vividly. Princess Celestia was hovering in the air above them, glowing with a white light as her flames licked the air around her. There was a sorrowful look on her face when she looked down at Ruby, and Ruby gave a flicker of remorse at the hateful words and glare she had given her in return. Celestia's pain had been quickly replaced with fury when she turned her white hot gaze towards Night Walker and spoke in the Canterlot voice, practically rattling the windows.

"As you all talked I was preparing myself to fly down to help in what I thought was going to be a fight, but then Night Walker did something and you screamed. And then you teleported away."

Twilight's ears fell at the memory. That night in the field beneath the raining clouds seemed so far away now, but the fear and anger was easy to remember, and she berated herself for what she had almost done to Ruby. Though she didn't feel as if she deserved it, Twilight welcomed Ruby's gentle touch in response to her feelings of the memory. The two of them only exchanged feelings on the matter, sharing the pain they had both felt at the time. They had already spoken about that night a few times before, but it was something that they would revisit in the future, especially since it was the reason for the the cracks in the mirror between them. Since then, they had finally gathered all the remaining shards and placed them back in their positions utilizing their newfound connections with each other, and while in some ways their bond was now deeper than ever, it was not what they had before. It wasn't worse, just different, but they were afraid those cracks would remain on the mirror forever.

"Then Night Walker and Princess Celestia fought, and by the night was that a fight." Mist Hoof took a bite from his apple, staring at nothing in particular as his face showed a look of respect and fear at the memory. "I couldn't imagine any other pony going hoof to hoof like they did."

"I'm going to need to hear the details of that fight later on," Twilight said. It was then that she remembered Rarity and Applejack had been there as well, and she and Ruby mentally noted to ask them later about it as well.

Mist Hoof gave her a long and careful look, but continued nonetheless. "At some point Shade Flare had his fight, but he didn't say if he had won or not. He just told me to come with him so we could put some distance between ourselves and Celestia. When we reached the city limits Night Walker appeared beside us after somehow getting away and we flew the remaining distance to this cave together."

Ruby had begun to formulate a question for Twilight to ask, but Twilight was already on the matter, given that she shared the same concern. "Did everypony make it?"

"Yup, everyone made it here, and all safe at that," Mist Hoof replied. "Everypony was shaken at the sudden departure, but they were fine. Though, it didn't take long for them all to figure out you weren't with us."

"Are you kidding?" Willow Shade said. "They knew something was wrong right away. The moment you three stepped in the cave without Ruby was when we all knew something was up." Willow Shade then smirked at Twilight. "You should have seen them Ruby, Twilight,... uh Princess. Is it alright if I just call you Princess?"

Both Ruby and Twilight shared some hesitation at being called their title, much preferring their actual names be used in stead. But given the situation, they decided it would be fitting to clear up some confusion, for now. "Sure, it makes things easier."

Willow Shade smiled as she continued, "Well Princess, everypony knew something was up right away. And we all started bugging Night Walker about what happened to you and when you would come back."

Ruby's joy and pride flashed, and Twilight couldn't help herself but smile as well from it.

"But what Night Walker said wasn't what we were expecting to hear," Cloud Shadow added, and both her and Willow Shade looked to Mist Hoof expectantly.

Mist Hoof gave them a deadpan look for having interrupted him, but continued. "Night Walker started to fill us in on what actually happened, and how you weren't our princess."

"He… He did?" Twilight said, flattening her ears as drew herself inwards. "What did he tell you?"

"He told us everything. He told us you were actually Twilight Sparkle the Princess of Friendship, and how he had gone to Ponyville to turn you into a vampony. He apologized for tricking us into believing you were a long lost vampony princess, but he said you were a "necessary sacrifice" for our lives to change, and that we shouldn't forget what you've done for us even if you were no longer our princess."

Twilight's wings began to shake, and for a moment she looked as if she was about to leap from her position and fly away. But the moment was short lived and she calmed herself with deep breaths. Everypony remained stock still for the duration, daring not even to take a bite from their food until the moment had passed. The tension was clearly felt, and they all could only imagine how Twilight and Ruby felt at the moment.

Twilight eventually looked back to Mist Hoof, her face neutral save for a fire behind her red eyes. "Continue."

It took a moment for Mist Hoof to regain his voice and he said, "After that, Night Walker announced we'd leave the cave the following night. When everypony had gone to sleep though, I went to Night Walker to speak more about the matter. We… came to some disagreements."

Twilight's ears perked up, and both her and Ruby felt a flash of concern. "Did he do anything to you?"

"No, nothing at all. He was very calm about the matter. Almost expecting it, actually," Mist Hoof replied. "To be honest, Twilight, I had a feeling that you were who you actually were. I had thought about it ever since Applejack and Rarity told me about it. I'd had my suspicions, but I never guessed it would end up like this where there were actually two of you."

"Ya mean you actually believed us?" Applejack asked.

"Not completely, but I definitely began to have my doubts that everything was as it appeared. Why in Equestria would two mares say the things you two had said, and go to such lengths for it? You fought in the yard with conviction, and not once did I feel as if you were pulling my leg. It may have also just been my love for crime and drama novels, and the fact that I may be going senile, but I had my suspicions."

"You aren't senile, and Ruby says the same along with 'you old fart'," Twilight said lovingly.

Mist Hoof laughed. "These silver highlights aren't just for show, but if you say so. Who am I to argue with our princess?"

 _I always did like Mist Hoof._

 _~He's dependable to say the very least. I'm glad to have him back.~_

 _Me too._

"Anyways," Mist Hoof continued. "While we were getting ready to leave the next night, Night Walker offered all of us a choice. Follow him to our new home and keep him as our Vampony Lord, or stay here and to take the chance of waiting for you to come back, our Vampony Princess."

"He said that?" Twilight asked incredulously.

Mist Hoof nodded. "He did. And as you can see, some of us took that offer."

Twilight looked to the rest, and she received supportive smiles in return. She felt her eyes begin to water again, but she quickly wiped them away. "I… I see…"

"Twilight, Ruby," Mist Hoof said, and he waited until Twilight looked him in the eye. "Night Walker may have began this all, and while I still argue with myself at times whether following him was the right thing to do to begin with, _you_ are the pony that I believe and will follow." Mist Hoof scooted closer and in a gentlemanly fashion took Twilight's hoof in his.

"Many terrible things have happened to you, and I'm sorry none of us were aware of it at the time. I can only imagine how hard it has been for you. For _both_ of you. And while I still don't understand everything, the others and I have already discussed it. We choose you to be our princess. Not only because following you will lead to less bloodshed, but because we truly believe you are the right choice for our race."

"We've all seen you how lead us, how you care for us, and looking at you now, I'm already starting to see where the two of you influence each other. If I had to guess, you have already spoken your mind to me a few times, Twilight. Am I right?"

Twilight wordlessly nodded, feeling the tears beginning to appear again.

"I still remember fondly every moment we've had since our meeting. How you treated myself and the others, and always managed to lift our hearts no matter what was happening. You gave us a hope that we haven't had for hundreds of years. And even now I am beginning to see Ruby inside of you in little actions and words. Regardless of whoever is speaking at the moment, I trust that both of you have our best interests at heart. The fact that you came here proves it."

Twilight's free hoof was covering her mouth, and she was having difficulty seeing again as her vision became watery.

The other bat ponies stood up as they came beside him and looked towards her. And Mist Hoof asked, "Will you be our princess again, Twilight and Ruby?"

Twilight gave a shuddered breath, and meekly nodded before replying, "Yes… we will."

"Then it's settled," Mist Hoof replied with a smile. "We'll follow you to the ends of Equestria, and we'll help you fix our race and take them back from Night Walker's hoof."

"T-Thank you…" Twilight whispered as she and Ruby began to cry again. "We'll do our best… thank you…"

* * *

After another tearful session, Twilight was whisked away by Cloud Shadow and Willow Shade who insistently asked question after question about her, Ruby, Equestria, and anything else that came to their minds. Rainbow Dash stayed beside Twilight the entire time, often leaning towards her in a protective and jealous manner while Applejack spoke to Ember Mane and Ebon Wing, attempting to elicit as many words as she could from the two. That left Mist Hoof and Rarity to share each others company, and they sat together away from the rest with thoughtful gazes.

They were both gauging the reactions of the two intermingling groups, and keeping an extra eye on the three troublemaking mares. Despite Twilight's enhanced senses, the two bat mares had already developed a system where one would keep Twilight occupied with an honest question while the other would silently make faces at Rainbow Dash, leading to short spats between the three of them. After the first few scoldings from Twilight, Rainbow Dash quickly learned to follow suit, and she was now actively engaging in the silent war whenever she could. Despite how cunning the three of them thought they were being, they were completely unaware of Mist Hoof and Rarity's deadpan expressions at them.

"Those three are going to be a hoofull when together," Mist Hoof remarked.

"Indeed," Rarity replied.

An awkward moment of silence passed between the two of them before Mist Hoof gently coughed into his hoof. "So, if you don't mind me asking, you don't seem to be acting yourself since we've last met."

"Is it that noticeable?"

"Very. You were much livelier back in the yard."

Rarity didn't respond at first, but she eventually said, "I've fallen under some problematic circumstances. To keep it short, I'm suffering under the Hunter's Curse."

"I see," Mist Hoof slowly replied, taking care to straighten his back.

"Don't worry," Rarity said having easily noticed the changed atmosphere between them. "My situation is a bit different than most Hunters. The only pony I intend to harm is Night Walker." Rarity reluctantly tore her gaze away from Twilight and looked to Mist Hoof. "Though it makes me wonder how you know about my predicament."

"You went to Dusktown, right?"

"That's right."

"And I'm assuming you met Grove?"

"Briefly, but yes."

"Well, he's my brother, and practically enamoured by the Hunters," Mist Hoof said. His usual careful look dissolved into annoyance, and Rarity felt as if years had been lifted off his shoulders. "He's an idiot most of the time, but a capable one. You'd think he'd kiss the ground the Hunters walked on if he came across one of them. I'm not sure how much you spoke to him but he's all for keeping the bat ponies locked away in Dusktown. He'd do anything as long as he felt it would keep the tension between us and the rest of Equestria down."

Mist Hoof narrowed his eyes as he thought about something from long ago, but eventually sighed. "He's right most of the time, though. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't proud of him at times for all the work and effort he's put into improving our lives. He may be my idiot brother, but I can't speak poorly about his accomplishments. Not all of them."

Mist Hoof turned his gaze back to Rarity. "But it's because of him that I know what I do about the Hunters. I can't say that I'm exactly comfortable being near you, but I guess I don't have a choice in the matter. It definitely explains how you fought like you did back then."

Rarity's focus on him intensified, but she still kept tabs on Twilight out of the corner of her eye, catching the fleeting moment of Rainbow Dash sticking out her tongue before innocently smiling when Twilight turned her head towards her.

"Can you tell me anything about the Hunters?"

"I can, but I can't promise it'll be anything you already don't know."

"The Hunters are descendants of the Gemstone family," Rarity began to surmise. "Through methods unknown they were able to develope the instinctual ability to hunt the undead, vamponies included. The curse itself has been diluted over the generations and now requires a special ritual to be reactivated, which I myself have not undergone even though I have the curse. They are a part of the Royal Guard, and Dusktown lies in their ancient kingdom's land."

A moment passed between them as they stared at one another, and both their ears flicked at the sound of Twilight thwacking Cloud Shadow and Rainbow Dash's heads.

"Well," Mist Hoof eventually said. "Sounds like you know about as much as I do. The only thing I can add is that while our relationship with the Hunters has improved somewhat, and that there have even been a few cases where a batpony and one have fallen in love, it's never with a Hunter that has been 'awakened'. I've only met a few myself but it was never under amicable circumstances. They've always had an unsettling presence around us."

Rarity sighed as she gave an understanding nod, and then returned her gaze to Twilight, catching sight of Rainbow Dash and Cloud Shadow carefully rubbing their new bruises. She immediately took note of Twilight's facial expressions and how she glanced at the three of them now and then. From how her eyes would faintly become narrowed or worried, to even subtle posture changes that a normal pony would not even notice. If Rarity had to guess, she figured that both Twilight and Ruby were fed up with the three mares' bickering, which would explain why Twilight would go as far as physical punishment even though it was something as light as a thump on the head. But gauging Twilight's glances, Rarity suspected Twilight had hit them just slightly harder than she intended. Rarity noticed that Twilight was getting better at controlling her newfound strength, but Rarity would still catch the moments where Twilight exercised them too much. Even when Twilight would eat an apple with the others to keep up appearances, she would sometimes bite down far harder than a normal pony would, slicing the apple as if it were nothing with her fangs.

"You certainly have a Hunter's focus," Mist Hoof commented, causing Rarity to flick her ears and berate herself for becoming so focused on Twilight as to have missed Mist Hoof's inspecting gaze. "But if it means anything, you don't have the full Hunter's atmosphere about you. Every Hunter I've met makes my skin crawl and they never looked at me kindly. You may give a mean glance now and then, but you're definitely different. There's still some kindness and care within you."

"... It's not enough of a difference if I still look at her with hate at times, though."

"I've noticed," Mist Hoof replied. "But it sounds like you need a mirror, because I've also seen you look at her fondly as well."

Rarity didn't reply, and Mist Hoof said nothing further on the matter. They watched together as Twilight spun her head around to catch Willow Shade giving a smug look at Rainbow Dash. Twilight raised a hoof in a gentle but threatening manner, and Willow Shade immediately gave a guilty smile in response while tactfully scooting away.

Among all the other details Rarity kept herself aware of, both major and minor, her reflection of Mist Hoof's words made her to finally take notice of a strange but familiar feeling on her face. She normally ignored the sensation in the past due to the constant internal demand to focus on Twilight, and even when she did perform the action it was always hollow since it was only ever for the sake of another pony and not a true representation for how she actually felt. But to Rarity's surprise, she realized she was giving the faintest of smiles towards Twilight, and that she wasn't forcing herself to make it.

Rarity and Mist Hoof sat beside each other in silence for some time watching the rest of the group interact. Applejack had managed to strike a conversation up with Ember Mane, but Ebon Wing still remained mostly quiet. Willow Shade, Cloud Shadow, and Rainbow Dash looked to have established a temporary truce lest they suffer more scolding thwacks, and now settled for passive glares at each other whenever Twilight wasn't looking at them.

"We should be going to bed soon," Mist Hoof said, and Twilight's ears flicked at having heard it from across the cave. She turned her head towards him, and silence fell within the cave as each pony looked towards her. "We should be well rested if we are going to follow you through this," Mist Hoof said loud enough for all to hear.

"... You realize what I'm going to have to do, right?" Twilight asked.

Mist Hoof nodded. "We've known for awhile. Like I've said, we've done our fair share of talking while waiting for you. Night Walker needs to be dealt with."

"I'm going to kill him," Twilight said, and by the lack of reactions it was clear they knew it would come to that. "I'll also be the one to do it," Twilight added. "I can't ask any of you to do something like that."

"Twilight, I don't—"

"I only need you all to keep the others away from Night Walker and myself," Twilight firmly replied. "I won't risk any of you in a fight with him. I can't let myself be distracted if he threatens any of you."

Mist Hoof opened his mouth to object, but Rarity gave a polite 'ahem', and he decided to withdraw his opinion.

"So, where do we find him?" Twilight asked. "Where exactly is this new 'home' he mentioned before he left?"

"He said it was to the west of here, only a few days flight and deep within a forest," Mist Hoof replied. "He said our new home was a place called the 'Castle of the Two Sisters'."


	51. Chapter 51

_Walk swiftly, young lavender,_  
 _Let your rose be your heart._  
 _Let her thorns protect you,_  
 _For never you'll be apart._

 _See swiftly, young rose,_  
 _Let lavender be your guide._  
 _Let her petals sooth your fury,_  
 _Forever she'll be at your side._

 _Come swiftly, young flowers,_  
 _Come to the awaiting night._  
 _For you grew not in the sun,_  
 _But in the Shadow's dark light._

 _~Twilight, it's okay, really. I'm fine.~_

 _Ruby, you promised. We're doing this._

 _~Honestly, it's okay. Let's just focus on—~_

 _Do you want to do this while walking with the others, or alone while we have the chance?_

Twilight turned her head back in the direction of the cave. Though the trees blocked her vision, her ears twitched at the faint voices of everypony else preparing themselves at the cave's entrance. Winter was close, and while no running of the leaves had occurred yet, the growing chill in the air made noises clearer to hear. Any cold Twilight might have felt were she not a vampony, however, was diminished as the sun began its climb into the sky, and Twilight imagined for Ruby how it might be if they addressed this issue while surrounded by everypony on the trail.

 _~I doubt you'd actually do that. The embarrassment would be too much for you.~_

Twilight did not respond with irritation or sarcasm despite how much Ruby wished she did. Instead, Twilight focused her consciousness inwards and waited patiently with a firm but solemn heart.

A brief moment of regret came from Ruby for her jab, and for the others she had thrown as they walked to this secluded spot, but she still kept up her now much smaller wall. _~It's a joke. I was joking. You don't have to act all—~_

 _Ruby._

 _~... Yes?~_

 _You can let it go._

Ruby didn't respond, and when Twilight ever so gently pressed closer to her, Ruby let out a sniffling sound, and her remaining wall fell.

Many of Ruby's fears and pains were alleviated when she and Twilight found the bat ponies again. They were the source of the pain she had kept hidden away since she and Twilight reforged their connections. Twilight had been overjoyed when Ruby had finally opened up again to such a deep and personal level that there were no more secrets or hidden feelings between them; a level she had once known when she had been on the inside. But even after finding the bat ponies and letting the bulk of it out, there still remained a tiny portion that Ruby kept locked away. Twilight had not pressed it further during the reunion with the bat ponies, but she was not going to let it fester any longer, and so as promised, Twilight now addressed it.

Ruby had just hoped it had been later instead of sooner.

Twilight wrapped her essence around Ruby, acting as both a warm pillow and blanket for Ruby to cry into as she shuddered internally.

 _~I'm sorry for everything… I'm sorry for pushing you away and keeping things from you. I'm sorry for acting like I have and for jabbing at you. I know I said it was because of an identity crisis, and part of that is true, but it's mostly because of everything weighing on me. Twilight, I… I need you. I need you and the bat ponies. I'm not anypony without you all.~_

 _You know that isn't true,_ Twilight whispered gently.

Ruby sniffed. _~I know, but for right now… it's how I feel. S-Someday I'll be my own pony, but right now… I need them, and I need you.~_ Ruby pulled herself closer to Twilight, grasping wherever she could so that she could feel safe within Twilight's consciousness. _~I need you…~_

 _And I'll be here. Just like you'll be for me. Together._

There was still more trauma within Ruby that needed healing, and if Twilight's recent experience on the issue had any say, Twilight knew they would be touching on this matter again multiple times in the future. Though Ruby was grafted from Twilight's soul and was strong and mature in matters that Twilight wasn't, she was by all accounts still young and much like a child in the grand schemes of things. She was a being that had grown much too quickly, not allowing her a lengthy amount of time to come to terms with her inner self and emotions. To make it worse, she had been betrayed by the pony who had been her biggest support in her growth, a crucial pillar that tore itself from beneath her. But even more devastating was Twilight's response to her, and Twilight knew there were wounds between the two of them that would take time to heal despite both their logical aspects having already settled everything.

Ruby's mind was an equal to Twilight's, and while her emotions burned just as brightly as Twilight's, they lacked the depth and experience, which made Twilight all the more determined to see Ruby's recovery happen smoothly. She refused to let Ruby hide deep within her ever again, and would ensure she supported her as Ruby had done for her.

After some time of silently sharing in each other's presence, they summoned the mental landscape and stood before the mirror. The cracks were only thin lines now that could be easily overlooked, and from a certain perspective, they even formed a beautiful if not complex pattern like the lines in a stained window. Additionally, there were no longer any missing shards, allowing them to see each other in full. With heartfelt smiles the two of them placed their hooves onto the glass, and then pressed their horn tips together. They breathed a sigh in comfort at the knowledge that the mirror was now solid again, and that it no longer threatened to crack from their touch. And just for a moment as they relished their connections to one another, they felt as if they had actually touched each other instead the mirror's surface.

Sighing once more in relief, they cast away the mirror world, and returned to the present.

 _Ready?_

 _~Ready.~_

* * *

"Hey, Applejack, hit us with some more of those apples!" Cloud Shadow asked.

"Coming right up," Applejack replied, and she began to fish out two more of Sweet Apple Acre's prized products. Once she had two stems firmly held in her mouth, she whipped her head and threw them up high where they were quickly caught by two dark blurs.

"Hmmm! Sh'ou guud!" Willow Shade announced as she began devouring hers immediately.

Applejack held a proud smile even as she tactfully moved out from beneath the two bat mares and the dripping mess they made. "Ah know Ah said Ah had plenty with me, but we'll run out at this rate if you two keep munching on them like this."

"Last ones _*mmf*_ for now _*Om*_ Promise!" Cloud Shadow replied.

Applejack chuckled while shaking her head, and then she glance back at Rainbow Dash who had elected to take up the rear. The two bat mares and Rainbow Dash had decided to hover as the group walked, and thus far Rainbow Dash had kept a firm and unpleasant glare on her face.

"Come on, Sugercube. Lighten up," Applejack said. Rainbow Dash merely grunted in response.

"Want an apple?"

"No thanks."

"We'll take it!" Cloud Shadow exclaimed, and she began taking larger bites in effort to finish her current one more quickly.

"Hey, it's mine! Give it here, AJ!" Rainbow Dash responded.

"Sure thing," Applejack replied with a smile.

"And throw it high."

Applejack gave her a knowing look, and then knelt down. Putting all her strength into it, she whipped her head and sent the apple soaring above the tree line. Just as the apple reached its maximum height and came to a standstill, Rainbow Dash snagged it as a rainbow blur, proceeded to perform three loop de loops on her way back down, and then resettled back into her hovering height next the group. With a smug grin, she began munching on her apple, unaware of the fact that she had settled above Applejack who was once again moving out from beneath the dripping juices.

Cloud Shadow and Willow Shade simply raised their eyebrows with neutral looks, and when Rainbow Dash gave them wink, they quickly ate the remaining parts of their apples. Then while wiping off her chin with a forearm, Cloud Shadow said with a sly grin, "Three loops is pretty impressive. But maybe if you had wings like ours then you'd be able to do four or five."

"Pssh, like leather wings can compare to feathered ones," Rainbow Dash replied, and then took a large bite. "I shtill don't ghet how you 'gan even fly whish thoughs."

Cloud Shadow and Willow Shade exchanged mischievous grins with each other before turning back to Rainbow Dash. "Something tells me you've never seen a batpony show their stuff in the sky."

"Nope," Rainbow Dash replied wiping off her chin. "Can't be too great."

The two bat mares giggled as they landed on the ground. "In case you didn't know, it is true that pegasi fly more efficiently than we can," Cloud Shadow said.

"Having those long feathers really does help catch the air beneath you, where as we have to flap a lot more," Willow Shade added.

"But just because our flying takes a bit more effort, doesn't mean we can't fly _better_!"

Arching their backs, the two mares flapped their leathery wings and propelled themselves backwards, causing Applejack to duck her head while Rainbow Dash weaved in panic. The two bat mares had in one motion placed themselves behind Rainbow Dash, and with another flap of their wings, soared past her and into the sky.

"Our wings let us maneuver in ways that you can only dream of!" one of them shouted as they became indistinguishable from each other so high up.

"And don't forget the loops!"

One of them broke off from the other and began tumbling in what looked like a free fall. But on closer look, she was actually performing a series of loop de loops in rapid succession and in a dizzying fashion. She continued her antics as she fell closer and closer to the ground, and just before she hit the tree line she threw her wings wide open and soared back upwards with ease.

"And we can grab more air instead of letting it slip past like feathers do!" she cried as she joined her companion.

"Oh yeah? How about this!" Rainbow Dash shouted and zoomed towards them.

As the three of them began to one-up each other in the sky, the rest of the group stared up from below with irritated expressions, Applejack even more so as she wiped off the discarded apple Rainbow Dash had dropped on to her hat.

"Do you want me to stop them?" Mist Hoof asked.

Twilight peeked up from beneath her sun hat, and it was only due to reassurances from Ruby that Twilight sighed and returned her eyes back to the woodland path. "No, let them sort it out. As long as they save some energy for when they need it and don't injure each other, then they can bicker up there as much as they want."

"Well, Ah'll say one thing," Applejack said as she finished cleaning herself. She craned her head upward and scowled at the acrobatic trio. "They ain't getting no more apples as long as they're flying."

* * *

As night settled and the campfire began to burn brightly, the group sat comfortably around its warm light. Despite some warnings, the three troublemakers were still off and away, having not taken a single break all day from showing off their aerial moves to one another. And now that it was night time, the bat mares were gleefully taking the opportunity to use their advantages over Rainbow Dash.

Meanwhile, the rest of the group enjoyed a pleasant dinner while they could, and took the uninterrupted time to discuss important matters.

"Night Walker was careful not to engage directly with Princess Celestia," Mist Hoof continued. "He kept his distance and only came in when he had a clear shot, but he only managed grazing hits whenever he did."

Twilight listened intently to Mist Hoof's recount of Night Walker and Celestia's battle, with Applejack and Rarity commenting now and then on a detail that Mist Hoof had missed.

"His main problem was Princess Celestia's horn of course," Mist Hoof said. "I can't imagine how much weight she's capable of picking up or how far she could throw something given that she raises the sun and moon."

"Actually, it's a bit more complicated than that," Twilight interjected. "She doesn't move them like you would a pen or a rock, but that can be discussed later. Please, go on."

"Huh," Mist Hoof said before continuing. "Well, whenever she flared her horn to grab him, Night Walker would summon a sphere of shadows, darkness… I'm not sure what you'd call it. But it was damn good at blocking Princess Celestia's sight of him."

"And thus removed any potential hold on him," Twilight added before sighing. "It was becoming night time, wasn't it? So that means he had plenty of shadows to work with without battling the effects of pure daylight."

"What's that mean?" Applejack asked.

"Celestia is capable of channeling some of the sun's magic, allowing her to cast spells no other pony can. Those white flames you all saw on her that night is one of those. I could feel the effects just being near them, but it isn't as strong as natural daylight." Twilight looked down at her half eaten apple. "I don't know the full details of it, but because I'm an alicorn I'm naturally more resistant to daylight than regular vamponies. Night Walker has to cast a spell to become immune to it on the level that I am, but even so… I can't imagine Celestia's light had too great of an effect on him unless she had the time to focus on a particular spell just for that occasion."

"And he never gave it to her," Mist Hoof said. "If anything he was acting as if he was enjoying the whole ordeal. I couldn't hear what he said to her while they fought, but judging by Princess Celestia's reactions, she didn't take it too kindly."

"She did get mighty mad," Applejack agreed. "When the two of them starting smashing pieces of stone off of the tower Ah thought the whole thing was gonna come down. It was only thanks to Rarity that none of those chunks ever reached the street."

"It was all I could do to assist," Rarity replied. "Though I wish I had been able to get a hold of Night Walker while he fought as well."

"He dodged your magic too?" Twilight asked in disbelief.

"Only a few times, but I had stopped shortly when it became clear I needed to focus more on the falling environment."

Twilight returned her gaze downward as she pondered over the information, mentally comparing what she had learned against what she and Ruby already knew of Night Walker's capabilities. He was strong and fast, possessed regeneration capabilities that allowed him to heal even broken bones in minutes, and he was capable of both shadow and vampony magic of which neither she nor Ruby knew the full extent of. Despite Ruby's victory that night when she had thrown his body against numerous trees to get her first drink of blood, Night Walker hadn't been serious in fighting her. Even the short duels they had in the caves afterwards couldn't be called real fights.

Night Walker was one of the most dangerous foes Twilight had ever faced, and though she felt fear at the thought of going against him for real, there was a fire in her that beckoned her to confront him, a fire that Ruby shared. Whether it was more because they were a vampony now, or because their pain and desire for revenge had changed them so, they were both intent on facing him.

"And what about Shade Flare?" Twilight suddenly asked. "How did he fight?"

"His opponent was no push over to say the least," Rarity said. "But he is certainly dangerous in his own right."

"His control over shadows is similar to Ebon Wing's," Mist Hoof said as he glanced at Ebon Wing. The sudden attention from everypony caused the quiet pony to pull his wings around his legs.

"We ain't saying you're him," Applejack said warmly.

"Of course we aren't," Twilight said. "But if you could share anything you know about your powers it'd be really helpful."

"Well…" Ebon Wing began. "I've been doing it all my life so I'm not sure really how to describe it, but I'll try."

Standing himself up, Ebon Wing moved a short distance away from the fire until he was next to a tree. "Sometimes you have to look at shadows differently than other ones. They aren't always the same, but they usually work well enough if you focus."

Ebon Wing placed a hoof on the tree, and after a moment of silence, began to slide his hoof into the shadow. "I usually try to think of it as a hole I can go into, or like a coat that wraps around me," he said without looking away from his hoof. "And if there's enough of it and I'm feeling good, I can completely cover myself in it, and even move around a little." After exhaling, Ebon Wing stepped forward and within moments, vanished into the tree.

Everypony else looked on in amazement, all except Mist Hoof and Ember Mane who had on more than one occasion been responsible for tracking down the user of such an irritating ability. Even though Ruby had seen it a few times herself, she was just as amazed as the rest of them were. And then an idea came to her.

Twilight's ears flicked at Ruby's voice, and she called out, "Ebon Wing, stay right there. I'm just going to check something."

"Okay," Ebon Wing replied with a muffled voice.

Twilight moved away from the fire until she was but a few paces from the tree, and after closing her eyes, reopened them to reveal a white light. Following Ruby's lead, the two of them used Soul Sight towards the tree, and found the nestled orb hidden within it and wrapped by a thin veil of darkness. To Ruby's surprise, it was more difficult to locate him than her previous attempts, but they found it nonetheless.

The veil that surrounded his soul was something he did not previously possess, and if Ruby and Twilight had to guess, it was something related to shadow magic. Their guesses, however, only made Ruby feel regret. _~I can't believe I didn't study those magics while I had the chance. I just figured there would be time to learn and—~_

 _It's okay, Ruby. You didn't know. We both didn't._

Ruby exhaled after receiving a gentle touch from Twilight. _~Right. Let's see what we got here.~_

Peering closer, they saw the fibers that flashed due to Ebon Wing's use of shadow magic. It pulsed in a way that was different from regular magic, and in some ways similar to the natural magic found within ponies like a pegasus's flight and earth pony's innate sense of the earth. From a quick academic guess, Ruby and Twilight figured that not all ponies are capable of learning shadow magic, and even among the potential candidates there would only be a small amount that could actually perform it. Ebon Wing's use of it was a testament to his incredible natural affinity. After a closer but restrained inspection of the other aspects of his soul for privacy's sake, they came to a conclusion as to why his ability worked in the particular way it did.

 _~Hiding in the shadows is what he really wants...~_ Ruby's voice then became soft. _~I didn't realize he thought of himself like this...~_

 _You can't blame yourself,_ Twilight preemptively said.

 _~I know, but I can change how he will feel in the future. Nopony should feel as if they're meant to be alone.~_

Without letting his soul out of sight, Twilight walked to the side of the tree Ebon Wing had entered and placed her hoof onto the dark bark. Narrowing her eyes, she and Ruby focused on the unfamiliar magic, attempting to copy the magical pulses that Ebon Wing generated. With effort, and possibly some luck, they were successful in their mimicry, and Twilight's hoof slowly slid into the tree.

The rest of the group watched in awe as Twilight extended her entire foreleg into the tree's shadow, and then gently pulled Ebon Wing out. Ebon Wing stared up with the widest pair of eyes Twilight and Ruby had ever seen him make, and after dismissing their Soul Sight, they both looked down at him with their gentle, crimson eyes.

"You don't have any reason to hide yourself anymore. At least, not for those reasons," Twilight whispered so only he could hear.

Ebon Wing numbly nodded his head, and together the two of them walked back to the fire.

Mist Hoof looked at Twilight, then to Ebon Wing, and then back to Twilight before giving a satisfied grunt. "Looks like I know who to go to in the future."

Twilight smiled, and then turned her focus to Ebon Wing. "It was a harder than before to find you."

"Yeah… uh…," Ebon Wing said as he found his words. "N-Night Walker had been teaching me. He said I had a lot of potential and that… I shouldn't hide it away either…"

Twilight paused for a moment, but smiled nonetheless. "Well, you shouldn't. In fact, I'd like to talk with you later and see if you could teach me what you've learned."

"Me? Teach you?"

"Sure, why not?"

"N-No reason…" Ebon Wing then turned his gaze back to the fire and hastily began eating his remaining portions of food.

"So uh… You can do this shadowy magic now?" Applejack asked.

Twilight raised her hoof before the campfire and concentrated on the shadows she casted, but nothing happened despite her and Ruby's effort. Dropping her hoof as she sighed, Twilight replied, "I think I can pick it up, but it isn't going to be easy. It's an entirely unknown magic for me, and there aren't any written documents about it even in Dusktown. Even as the Element of Magic and a vampony it's going to be one of the harder things I'll have learned." Twilight lowered her hoof, but then gave a smile. "But once I get the hang of it, I think I'll be fairly good."

"And vampony magic?" Mist Hoof asked.

Twilight's smiled turned into a frown. "That's going to be even more difficult. Not because it'll be hard for me to cast, but because I know even less about it than shadow magic, and because it uses blood. I refuse to experiment recklessly with it."

"But you know some of it, right?"

"Just enough to turn a pony into a vampony," Twilight replied. "Speaking of which, I need to look you over in detail sometime."

"Are you sure you don't want to do it now?"

Twilight shook her head. "Ruby and I have a lot of examining to do before we feel comfortable in turning any more ponies into vamponies."

"I see," Mist Hoof said as he rubbed his chin. "I suppose it's better than going about it too eagerly like Shade Flare has been doing."

"What do you-... oooooooh," Twilight groaned as she placed a hoof on her forehead. "Right… We completely forgot… Shade Flare has already been turning others into vamponies, hasn't he?"

"Afraid so. In fact, he's probably been busy making more this entire time."

Twilight groaned. "Great…"

 _~Having everypony handle Shade Flare and the others might have been possible, but if there are more vamponies...~_

 _This just became a lot harder if they all decide to come at us. We might have to reconsider this. I'm not risking everypony else to hold off Celestia knows how many vamponies while we deal with Night Walker._

Ruby let out a 'tsk, but reluctantly agreed. _~I don't like it either, but you're right on that.~_

"Twilight?"

"Yes, Rarity?" Twilight said as she lifted her head up. But as she looked into Rarity's eyes, she had a feeling at what she was going to say. "I can't ask you all to—"

"We are settling this one way or another," Rarity stated. "We all knew the dangers when we agreed to this."

Twilight's mouth fell agape, and before the rest could speak their mind Twilight had jumped to her hooves. "No, you don't get to say that!" Pointed a hoof at her, Twilight shouted, "I am not risking your lives. Night Walker and Shade Flare were enough, but vamponies? Plural? No, we need to rethink this."

"Then we contact Princess Celestia and Princess Luna to aid us."

"They won't let me face him! I have to do this!" Twilight snarled.

Rarity as ever, though, remained calm and neutral. "Then we have the local guard in Ponyville to assist us and they can either waste their time waiting for Princess Celestia and Princess Luna to arrive or they will escort us to the Castle of the Two Sisters. Regardless, Twilight, we are not backing out of this. Just because the situation has changed somewhat does not mean you can decide whether we can help you or not."

"And why can't I?" Twilight replied, lowering her voice but now beginning to tremble some. "I didn't even want you to come when it was just Night Walker and Shade Flare, but… I can't ask you to fight vamponies. I just can't."

"Excuse me, Princess, but we might not have to," Mist Hoof interrupted.

Twilight blinked in confusion as she turned towards him. "What do you mean?"

Giving her a sly grin, he said, "Do you really think we were the only ones who wanted to side with you?"

"What?" Twilight whispered.

Mist Hoof motioned to Ember Mane and Ebon Wing. "The only reason why we were the only ones to stay behind was because we convinced the others who wanted to as well to not do it. They weren't happy about it, but they decided to follow my advice when I gave it. When we arrive, we're going to have a little bit of help on the inside."

"In what manner?" Rarity asked.

"Night Walker's current location, holding off others as much as they can should they attack, and sneaking us in if they're able to."

"But they'd be fighting each other!" Twilight exclaimed.

"They won't, Princess. They'll just provide assistance where they can. I'm not expecting them to get into a hoof match. Bat ponies don't fight bat ponies when it's important." Ember Mane and Ebon Wing nodded their heads at that. "The way I see it, nearly all of them aren't going to be quite sure what to do about the whole matter, and I doubt any of them are going to get in your way either, Princess."

"They're not sure on who to follow…" Rarity guessed aloud.

Mist Hoof nodded. "Right now the bat ponies are torn. Do they trust their lives to be lead by Night Walker, or the Princess?"

Twilight had settled down somewhat, and was now sitting again. "Do… Do you really think they'll pick me?"

"They like both of you. We all do. But if it comes down to it, I'd say it's whoever is standing at the end." Mist Hoof gave a solemn look as he quietly added, "I just hope it's you when all is said and done."

"It will be," Twilight said. "Ruby and I promise. When we reach the Castle of the Two Sisters, we're ending this."

A tense mood fell over the campsite, and for some moments, the only sound was the crackling of the fire. But shortly enough, that silence was disturbed by three whooping and hollering mares that practically crash landed into the camp. Their wing strokes kicked up bits of loose grass and nearly blew out the fire. Aside from a few noticeable bumps on Rainbow Dash's head that she most likely obtained while trying to keep up with the two bat mares in their night flying, the three of them looked to be in high spirits as they wore childish grins.

"So, what'd we miss?" the trio asked in unision.


	52. Chapter 52

_A few days later…_

In the early morning as the sun began to peek over the horizon, a tired guard let out a yawn. His companion next to him followed in suit moments later, and after a few lip smacks, they dutifully returned their attention to the street in front of the treehouse. Though the only occupant inside was the princess's companion, Spike, they still remained ever vigilant.

The burden of defending Ponyville had been eased somewhat by the arrival of more guards as per the orders of the Twin Sisters to double its defenses, but even though there were more bodies for the patrols and watches, it raised the tension that beset the town.

An attack wasn't expected, but given the state of everything, every pony still worried about the potential for one, and of course, the whereabouts of their local princess.

The two guards cocked their ears as they heard the library door open behind them, and they turned with welcoming smiles as Spike hobbled out with a tray of coffee and snacks.

"Here you go, guys," Spike said as he sat the tray down between them. "Can I get you anything else?"

"This is plenty, thank you," one guard replied as he lifted a mug and began to cool it with his breath.

Spike gave him a cheerful nod, but then looked down sheepishly as he began poking his index claws together. "Any word yet?"

"Nothing yet. We still haven't even been told if Princess Celestia has returned to Canterlot." He then took a brief sip, wincing at the temperature. "Though, I can't imagine we'd be the first to hear about it."

"Oh…"

As the guard magically raised a slice of bread and cheese to accompany his coffee, he paused at the glare he was receiving from his companion.

"I mean… I'm sure we'll hear any _important_ news right away, especially anything relating to Princess Twilight and her current whereabouts. After all, we're Ponyville's garrison, Princess Twilight's home town. And you're her… best friend, right?"

"Her assistant," Spike corrected, but by the small smile he wore it was clear to them he wore the title proudly. "You're right. I'm just still worried about her. I don't even know how many times she's run off without me where I can't do anything for her, like an assistant should be doing. I know I'm a still a baby dragon but… I can still do something."

The two guards exchanged brief glances, unsure of how to respond. One, however, eventually cleared his throat. "Forgive me for speaking poorly of our Princess, but I couldn't imagine why anypony would want to run away from such a delicious brew of coffee." He took a long sip of his cup, and let out a satisfied sigh. "There's a reason why the library post has been called the best spot in Ponyville amongst us guard."

"Well, there's more where that came from," Spike said, looking somewhat more cheerful.

The guard gave him a relieved smile before raising the cup to his lips again, but just as he was about to take another sip, the small gem badge he wore on his shoulder strap began to flash with a blue color.

The two guards paused their eating as they looked over their gems, and all traces of tiredness vanished from their faces.

"What is it?" Spike asked. "Is it Night Walker?"

"No, attacks are in red," one of them replied. "Blue means something big is happening that isn't dangerous. Usually it's reserved for things like Princess Celestia or Luna suddenly arriving. Judging by the light, it looks like the patrol on the east side activated the alarm."

Spike moved beside one of them as he looked closer at the flashing gem. "Do you think the Princess's found something about where Twilight's at?"

"Maybe, or…" the guard said as he lifted his head and looked down the street. "Or maybe it's someone even better."

Spike followed his gaze and saw a large group of ponies approaching the library from the main street, and at the front of them was Twilight wearing a happy but nervous smile.

"Twilight!"

Knocking over the tray of food without care, Spike ran towards her as fast as he could and threw his arms across her neck when he reached her, nearly knocking off her sun hat in the process. He let out a soft 'oof' from his collision with her, having forgotten she was sturdier than before. Though, even if he wasn't a dragon with tough scales, he wouldn't have cared if the tackle had given him bruises.

"You're back!"

"I'm back," Twilight softly replied as she lowered her head and wrapped a hoof around him. "Sorry I keep running away."

"Just as long as you keep coming back… it's alright," Spike whispered.

After a tight squeeze, Spike let go of Twilight and looked up at her with a worried expression. "What's going on? Where did you go? Did you run into Night Walker? How was Dusktown?"

"Dusktown was interesting to say the least," Twilight replied. She then turned her head to look over her shoulder. "As for the rest, it'll take some explaining."

Spike followed her gaze past Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash, and he widened his eyes in surprise at the five bat ponies in the back that he hadn't noticed at first glance. But given that there were at least ten guard ponies in a tight circle formation around Twilight's entire group that blocked the view, it wasn't too surprising in retrospect. Though, nopony seemed too pleased by the situation given that the guards and the bat ponies kept shooting wary glances at each other.

"Uh, Twilight? Night Walker isn't somewhere in the back, is he? Like, maybe surrounded by every guard pony in Ponyville?" Spike asked quietly.

"No, it's just these five." Twilight raised her hoof towards them. "Mist Hoof, Cloud Shadow, Willow Shade, Ember Mane, and Ebon Wing. Guys, this is Spike, my personal assistant and dear friend."

"By the ni~ght!" Cloud Shadow squealed before she dashed forward, startling the guards and everypony else. She then skidded to a halt only inches away from Spike and gave him a fawning grin. "You are adorable!"

Spike flinched at the sudden incursion to his personal space, and before he could open his mouth, Cloud Shadow swept him up into her arms and began nuzzling his cheek. "You're so warm! Ah! I love your scales!"

With the exception of the guard tensing their muscles, everyone else looked on in shock.

"Nice to… meet you?" Spike mumbled as he sat rigid in her arms.

"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry!" Cloud Shadow replied as she set him down. Lowering the front portion of her body so that she was eye level with him, she gave him a cheerful grin. "I just get a little excited sometimes. Hi, I'm Cloud Shadow! It's nice to meet you, Spike. Is it okay if I touch the barbs on your head?"

"I, uh… sure?"

Cloud Shadow squealed, and ever so daintily poked the barbs on Spike's head. After a few gentle prods, she began to giggle in excitement.

"And ponies mistake us for twins," Willow Shade said with a deadpan voice, not having been caught by surprise in the least by Cloud Shadow's reaction towards Spike, and she began to trudge towards her. "Doesn't matter if it's lizards or snakes, she's always loved reptiles. She's got tons of them back at her house in Dusktown. Honestly, like I could ever have a sister with such a freaky habit."

Cloud Shadow frowned as she looked back at Willow Shade. "It's not freaky! Ponies just don't understand them. Everyone back home just runs away from the snakes, never taking the chance to see how cool reptiles actually are." She then turned back to Spike and flashed him a big smile. "Of course, you're not a snake. You're a dragon! Which is ten times better! How awesome is that?"

"Pretty awesome, I think," Spike nervously replied.

"Okay, Cloud Shadow, time to let the poor guy free. He isn't one of your pets," Willow Shade snarkily said before grabbing Cloud Shadow's tail in her mouth and beginning to pull her away.

"Hey, I'm not done yet! I still need to ask him if it's true dragons can eat gems or not!"

"It's true," Twilight answered for Spike, who was also looking quite unsure about the whole matter.

"I knew it," Cloud Shadow said with childlike grin even as she was dragged into the back of the group.

"Okay…" Twilight said. "Now that… whatever that was is done… Silver Shield!"

"Yes, Princess?" a unicorn guard responded, the first one to have spotted Twilight and the others approaching the town.

"Please have all the guard within Ponyville assemble in front of the library. There's... something I have to discuss with you all."

Silver Shield gave a quick salute, and then began to work his magic into the gem badge pinned on his shoulder strap. After casting his spell, his and the other badges within Ponyville began to flash between blue and purple.

Twilight eyed the badge curiously. "When did the guard get those? I've never seen them before."

"They're newly issued, Princess," Silver Shield replied. "We only received them a few months ago. The entire guard was supposed to be outfitted with them but there was a delay in production, so at this time only the contingent in Ponyville has them."

Twilight stepped closer and looked at it in fascination. "What are they called?"

"Gem Markers. They are early prototypes of a means of communication amongst guard, developed by Prince Blueblood."

And like that, Twilight's interest was lost.

"Right now we can only communicate by color patterns, such as the first color being the situation and the second the location, but there are plans to—"

"Okay, I get it," Twilight replied flatly, and she began walking towards the library.

* * *

Some minutes later, Twilight—with her hat set aside—and her friends stood by the library. In front of her and in formation were the forty members of the guard stationed in Ponyville. It was no secret that Twilight had kept her duties as a princess as minimal as possible, hardly ever addressing any crowd in a royal fashion save for a few ceremonies that required her presence. But what was even more important for them was the knowledge that they would be the first unit in the guard to receive an official command, and they waited for it eagerly.

Despite their small numbers, the task of defending Ponyville had only been given to the most elite members, excluding any of those who had connections to the Hunters. While the more senior members wore a calm countenance, the younger ones could hardly suppress their grins at what they considered to be an historic occasion.

As silence fell over the attentive guards, ponies were beginning to wake from their beds and exit their homes for the day. It was only minutes before a crowd began to form around the library, and as it grew, Twilight's nervousness only deepened.

It was only after receiving a small nudge from Rarity, along with a supportive smile that was more saddening than helpful, that Twilight gulped and finally stepped forward.

 _This part sounded a lot easier in my head._

Twilight sensed a small amount of amusement from Ruby, and she knew Ruby was contemplating making a jab at Twilight's first official command being an order to war, but to Twilight's relief, Ruby suppressed it given the gravity of the situation. _~My rule was short, but trust me, it does become a little easier with practice. You can use my memories for guidance. Just tell them what you want to do.~_

 _Easy for you to say. If any of them die then—_

 _~I know Twilight, I know. But as much as you don't want to hear it, this is one of those times where lives must be put at risk.~_ Twilight shuddered at the notion, and a flurry of emotions and thoughts came rushing through. But thanks to Ruby's deeper knowledge of their soul, she picked through the oncoming fears, isolating the small ones with a magical calm while addressing the larger worries. _~You aren't Princess Celestia. You aren't Princess Luna. You are Twilight, and you'll rule as you are supposed to rule. Talk to them as Twilight would.~_

 _But what about you?_

Twilight felt the phantom sensation of Ruby smiling. _~Then talk to them as the Princess of Friendship and Vamponies would. I'll give you a hoof.~_

With Ruby's aid and direction, Twilight felt her fears drift away from her, and while Twilight retained her persona for her choice of words, Ruby's influence was available at a moment's notice should she need to rely on it. Twilight took a deep breath, exhaled, and then stepped forward as she raised her voice.

"As you are all aware, Night Walker and some one-hundred and fifty bat ponies have gone into hiding."

The guards stiffened their backs and perked their ears forward.

"Due… Due to recent events, I've learned where they are hiding," Twilight said as she motioned to Mist Hoof and the others. "Thanks to these bat ponies whom you are to treat as comrades, we learned that Night Walker is within the Castle of the Two Sisters, deep within the Everfree Forest."

Some of Ponyville's residents gasped at the statement, but the guards remained quiet as they listened.

"Night Walker needs to be stopped, therefore…" Twilight said, her voice faltering somewhat. But thanks to Ruby's assistance, Twilight fixed her posture and looked to them with a firm gaze. "Therefore I've decided that he must be dealt with now, before the day is over while we have the advantage of daylight."

There were murmurs from the gathering crowd, along with more gasps. While the guards remained composed, they did flick their tails and widen their eyes in surprise at the bold declaration.

"Of course, we will notify Princess Celestia and Princess Luna about this," Twilight said, purposefully using their titles. "But we cannot wait for their arrival. I will be entering the Everfree Forest here shortly. I ask that some of you please remain in Ponyville so that it can continue to be defended, and to greet Princess Celestia and Princess Luna when they arrive and inform them of the situation. But if any of you wish to aid me in this dangerous mission…" Twilight swallowed, and took another step forward as she raised her hopeful voice. "Then I ask that you come with me to stop Night Walker, and help bring peace back to Equestria!"

As she waited for reply, Twilight became aware that she was holding her breath. She looked into the eyes of the guard ponies that stared at her in a mixture of resolve and uncertainty. A knot began to develop in her chest, and as she was about to open her mouth, that knot suddenly unwound itself.

 _~It's okay. Just give them a moment.~_

Twilight swallowed again, and just as she was certain they were about to refuse her command and do something ridiculous like detain her while they notified Princess Celestia and Luna, one pony called out.

"We'll follow your orders, Princess Twilight," Silver Shield called out. He then knelt before her, and within moments, the rest of the guard followed suit as they replied with the same words. "We will accompany you into the Everfree Forest and assist you in stopping Night Walker. Our lives are in your hooves."

Twilight's mouth fell open, and she stared at them in a mixture of shock and relief.

 _~Are you really this surprised that they decided to come with you?~_

 _... A little._

Ruby laughed, and Twilight felt her brush gently against her. _~Come on. You're a Princess. We'll, technically you're two princesses if you count me.~_

 _Which I do._

 _~Then what are we waiting for? Let's hash out the details and get going while we have daylight.~_

Twilight nodded, and then motioned for the guard to rise. "Silver Shield, please select the ponies you believe should remain in Ponyville. As for the rest of you, gather whatever you require and meet me at the edge of the Everfree forest. I'll be there as soon as I send off a letter to Princess Celestia. We will discuss the details of the plan and then enter the forest. We leave in half an hour."

After giving Twilight their salutes, the guards leapt into action immediately. Silver Shield, along with a few senior members, began selecting those who would remain in addition to drafting contingency plans. Others quickly set off to gather their supplies for the trek, while some dashed into local restaurants for a quick breakfast.

Twilight exhaled as her nervousness began to fade, and after glancing over the ponies she now commanded, she turned towards the library. "Spike, we'll be sending a letter."

"Got it right here," Spike said, whipping out a quill and parchment.

Twilight blinked in surprised, wondering when he had entered the library, but dismissed the question as she smiled at him. "Always my number one assistant."

"You know it," Spike replied, and he readied the quill.

Within a minute, the letter was written and Twilight quickly eyed it over. It was brief, horribly so, but it covered the main points of the situation clearly. And given the dire nature of the matter, Twilight could only afford the time to triple check it.

"Looks good, Spike," Twilight said as she gave it to him. But as soon as Spike rolled the parchment and expanded his cheeks, Twilight quickly snatched it back from his grasp with her magic.

"Not yet!" she exclaimed. A faint red appeared on her cheeks when Spike gave her a questioning look, but she kept the scroll beside her. "We'll send it just before we enter the forest."

"But don't you at least want to hear what—"

"Spike," Rarity said as she appeared beside him, startling him in the process. "Trust Twilight on this matter. She needs to remain focused."

Spike began to prod his claws together again as he looked back and forth between them. "I don't like it…" he said. "Everypony keeps trying to do everything on their own."

"I know, Spike," Twilight said. She walked up to him with a sullen face and placed a hoof on his shoulder. "I know this has been hard. But please, only send this letter after we've entered the forest."

Spike looked up at her, and then to the scroll she now magically extended out to him. After a few moments followed by a heavy sigh, he nodded his head. "Okay…"

"Thank you, Spike," Twilight said, and she wrapped her hooves around him for a tight hug, one that he returned as well.

"Just… Please be safe and come back, okay?" he whispered to her.

"I will."

They squeezed one another once more, and then pulled apart as Spike reluctantly grabbed the scroll and held it close to his chest.

Rarity placed a hoof on his shoulder and smiled at him. "Thank you, Spike. I promise we'll return shortly. We'll take care of each other."

"Okay," Spike replied, looking somewhat cheered up, but still gripping the scroll tightly.

Rarity nodded, and then turned to Twilight. "You know what you must do first, before we enter the Everfree."

Twilight gave her a questioning look, but then froze at the intense gaze she received from Rarity. Twilight gulped before bringing a hoof towards her throat, gently rubbing at the small burn that she had been intentionally ignoring.

"I'm not going to be able to talk you out of this one, am I?"

"I'm afraid not, darling."

"You haven't fed in a while, Sugercube," Applejack said as she approached. "Ah'm sure Pinkie's cupcakes were good, but Ah have a feeling they ain't enough to sustain ya for something as important as fighting Night Walker."

"No, they wouldn't be enough," Twilight mumbled in reply as she lowered her ears. She affixed her gaze downwards, biting her lip in dread.

 _~It isn't that bad.~_

 _Yes it is. It's awful._

Twilight recalled when she had feed on Applejack and Rarity, back when she had returned to Ponyville. The memories were a bit hazy due the overwhelming sensations. The pain in her heart, her tears, the horrible burn in her throat, the guilt she felt, all of it had been simply so overwhelming that she tried to remember the event as little as possible. But to her dismay, the taste of the soothing blood stood clear in her mind when she did think of that time. Even now as she thought about it, she parted her lips from her urge to drink. It was an urge she quickly muffled when she realized what she was doing.

"You need your strength," Rarity said, the firmness in her tone catching Twilight's attention. "And you need a clear mind. You can't fight him like this."

Twilight's face fell at the statement, and she turned her gaze downward again.

 _~She's right, Twilight. You drank quite a bit from them last time, but most of that was used replenishing your strength. And your constant exposure to sunlight has been burning away what little reserve you have left.~_

 _You… You were paying that much attention to me?_

 _~Of course I was. Just because we weren't on speaking terms doesn't mean I wasn't going to do what I could. We do share the same body, so it'd be stupid if I didn't. Don't you remember the moment when you could fly again?~_

The memory of Twilight fruitlessly attempting to sate her thirst with water from a stream came forth, back when Twilight had just had her memories returned. Though, the memory was now shared with Ruby's perspective, and Twilight saw what she had done.

 _That's right, my wings weren't working…_

 _~We were damaged pretty badly,~_ Ruby said in a gentle voice, referring to when Twilight had torn through their soul recklessly. _~It took me a while to patch things up.~_

 _Ruby, I—_

 _~You don't need to apologize, Twilight. At least, not right now. Rarity and Applejack are waiting for you.~_

Twilight blinked in surprise as she returned her focus to her surroundings, and her cheeks reddened upon seeing her friends patiently waiting in front of her. "Sorry," Twilight mumbled.

"It's alright, darling. Did you and Ruby come to a decision?"

Twilight nodded. "She wants me to drink as well…"

"Then let's take care of it right now."

Twilight nodded in defeat, and trudged for the library door, mentally noting how many days she had managed until now for future cases.

Rarity magically opened the door for Twilight, and then motioned for Applejack to enter first. She then turned her head towards Mist Hoof and the rest of the bat ponies who stood a short distance away. Mist Hoof gave her a nod before he gathered the others and began to follow the guards.

"Spike," Rarity said, still keeping an eye on the bat ponies.

"Yes?"

"Would you be a dear and please show Mist Hoof and the others where the Everfree border is?"

Spike gripped the scroll as he looked to the library. "I guess, but I was kind of hoping to be with Twilight through this though…"

"Another time, Spike. Right now she needs some privacy." Rarity turned towards him and touched his shoulder with her hoof. "It's hard enough having two of her friends nearby for this. Until she's more comfortable with the matter, it's best to keep the audience as small as possible, no matter how supportive their intentions are. It'll be easier for her right now."

Spike looked up to her, and to Rarity's surprise, actually frowned at her. "And how do you know what she needs?"

Rarity opened her mouth to reply, but Spike turned away before she could.

"Sorry… I'm just worried for her. I just want to help." Then without another word, Spike dashed off to the departing bat ponies, wiping his eyes along the way.

He knew about Twilight and Rarity's situation, and it was clear to Rarity how difficult this all was for him. The thing that made the situation worse, however, was the lack of feeling within Rarity as she watched him run off. She imagined another time when she would have felt torn in asking him to leave, or rather, not even having the heart to do so. But she didn't have those notions presently, and so, she searched for the only thing that she could feel, and she kindled it, fanning it hotter and hotter for the stallion she intended to unleash it all upon.

With a grim face, she turned around and entered the library, closing the door behind her. Despite her growing fire, she kept her face calm and her movements composed as she approached Twilight and Applejack.

"So… How are we doing this?" Twilight asked.

"Ah'll be the one," Applejack said. "Rare's and Ah already talked it out. As much as Ah hate it, Ah'll be staying here in Ponyville, readying things in case it doesn't go well. Ah do more harm than good if you had to worry about me in a fight, given the loss of blood and all."

"You two seem to do a lot of talking without me these days," Twilight replied quietly, but lowered her ears as she mumbled an apology immediately afterward. "Sorry… Are you sure, Applejack?"

"Yup," Applejack said after a sigh, understanding Twilight's irritation but nonetheless feeling right about her actions. "And Ah promise, no more holding out on ya. We're just trying to look out for you is all, especially when… well, you know."

"I tend to do stupid things on my own?"

"Because sometimes you can get a little rash," Applejack corrected. "Besides," she said as she returned to the topic at hoof, "it's not like there's anypony else that could do it. Or even another pony you'd be willing to bite Ah bet."

"And as much as I would love to help," Rarity said. "I don't think I'm in the best state to let you drink from me. Last time was difficult enough, and I'd hate to do anything violent right now."

Twilight reluctantly nodded, and sat on her haunches.

 _~Do you want some help?~_

 _No… Don't suppress anything._

 _~... Are you sure?~_

Twilight sighed. _Someday I'll be better with it. Maybe even accept it. But I'll never get there if I keep running away from it._

 _~Hmmm.~_

 _What?_

 _~Nothing really. Just interesting seeing how you feel.~_ Twilight felt Ruby's consciousness pull closer, gently poking at a spot in her chest that felt like a knot. _~It's interesting to see that despite a pony's sudden bravery or courage that there's still a very fragile foundation beneath it.~_ Ruby plucked at the fibers of Twilight's underlying fear and anxiety, and it made Twilight shuddered at the emotions she was attempting to muffle.

 _That's not helping._

 _~I'm not doing it to be mean,~_ Ruby replied, and she drew her focus on it more. _~Take your drink. I'll be down here observing. Don't worry, I'm not going to suppress anything or change how you feel about it. It's just research and making sure everything goes okay with you. There's a lot of anxiety flaring up and I'm not liking the way it's pulsing through you.~_

 _Oh… Okay._

Twilight returned her focus to the library, and reddened again at Rarity and Applejack's stares. "Sorry, Ruby was just setting something up."

"Is she going to make it easier for you or something?" Applejack asked.

"No, just… She's just watching. Let's just get this over with."

Applejack nodded, and then shuffled closer to Twilight. "So ya want my leg or…"

"Leg's fine," Twilight mumbled in reply.

"Right." Applejack raised her hoof and extended it out to Twilight.

Twilight stared at limb with a sense of dread and apprehension. But even as she did, the slight burn in her throat drew her attention to the blood vessels within Applejack's leg, and Twilight subsciously parted her mouth as her breathing quickened.

"O-Okay… Here goes," Twilight whispered, finding herself captivated more and more by the moment.

Twilight carefully lowered her head, eyeing Applejack's orange coat with wide eyes as she looked over various entry points. "Where should I… um…"

"Same spot as last time," Applejack replied, though with a bit of nervousness in her voice.

Twilight nodded, and she quickly found the scars. She opened her mouth at the sight of them, closed it, and then opened it again, tensing each time she drew her fangs closer. Part of her still wanted to turn away and risk facing Night Walker as she was, but she knew that couldn't happen. Especially when Applejack was willing to abstain from the fight for Twilight's sake.

The thought of it made Twilight feel disgust towards herself for having to rely on Applejack in such a way, but at the same time, there was a deep thankfulness _towards_ Applejack letting her rely on her in such a way.

Worried what she might do if she delayed any further, Twilight took a quick series of breaths, and then bit into Applejack with her eyes closed.

Twilight heard Applejack suck in a breath, and she felt her muscles twitch in response to the bite, but all of that seemed terribly unimportant as soon as the blood entered her mouth. Its mere taste nearly drove all of Twilight's anxiety away at once, and it was only afterward that she realized that she had moaned.

She dimly opened her eyes as she drank, losing herself in the strange sensation of feeling weak in the knees while also feeling a strength enter her body. The burning sensation in her throat vanished beneath the soothing and warm blood, and she closed her eyes as she pressed herself closer to Applejack's leg, greedily drinking more.

Her shame and guilt lingered at the edge of her mind, but she dismissed it as best as she could, forcing herself to only focus on the rejuvenating effects of the blood. And though she also tried to push down the immense satisfaction that came over her while drinking, she couldn't help but feel the sense of pleasure build.

Even Ruby was not immune to its effects, and Twilight became aware of her own pleasure mingling with hers as they both felt the delicious and sating effects it wrought on their body.

"That's enough, Twilight," Rarity's voice said, cutting through the haze.

Twilight opened her eyes, and for a moment she stared coldly at Rarity for the interruption. But that notion was banished as quickly as it had come, and Twilight let go of Applejack with a loud exhale.

Twilight's breathing had become heavy, and she watched in envy as Applejack drew her arm away.

"Was that enough?" Applejack asked while cradling her arm.

Twilight didn't respond at first as she breathed open-mouthed, still coming down from the blood's intense effects, but slowly and surely she closed her mouth, and she gave a simple nod.

The uneasiness in Applejack's face was clear, but she still mustered a smile as she stood herself up on three legs. "Good to hear. Ah'm a… Ah'ma go bandage this now."

"Okay," Twilight whispered, and she watched as Applejack hobbled her way into the kitchen. Twilight licked the lingering blood within her mouth, idly noting how much she had drank in her brief but intense stupor.

"I see that this time was a bit different for you," Rarity commented as she eyed Twilight.

"Y-Yeah, it was…" Twilight replied.

* * *

 _An hour later…_

Quietly passing through the Everfree Forest, Twilight's senses were nearly overwhelming. Every sound she heard, every scent she smelled, all of it came flowing to her like the information she would read out of a book. Even Rarity's close steps were more noticeable for Twilight, and the accompanying guard were practically impossible to ignore. Their movements were not clumsy by any means, even in their armor, and Twilight didn't doubt that they'd be able to silently approach any other pony. But for her, they might as well have walking around clanging pots while holding large arrow signs.

 _~This is definitely different than before,~_ Ruby quickly spoke.

Twilight's ears swiveled as she heard a squirrel cross a branch high above her, noting how its tiny footsteps sounded over the tree's moss.

 _Everything is so distracting,_ Twilight complained with wide eyes. _I don't even know what to focus on!_

 _~You're not the only one,~_ Ruby said. Twilight could feel her moving her consciousness about their body in rapid motions, matching the high speed they spoke to one another. _~There's so many connections flaring about us and I can't help but jump to each of them. We're practically buzzing with energy.~_

 _Buzzing. Why are we buzzing?_ Twilight asked as her eyes snapped back and forth across the crude trail.

 _~Too many possibilities,~_ Ruby replied with a shortened breath. Her attention would be drawn in an incredibly focused state at one section before another would catch her notice, and at times she would even concentrate on multiple sections at a time. _~We've been deprived of blood for a while, possibly causing us to overload now that we've finally drank. Likelihood? Very.~_

 _Agreed. Other hypothesis?_

 _~You focus on the outside, I'll focus on the inside,~_ Ruby quickly replied as Twilight began to formulate her own.

 _Right, of course,_ Twilight replied as she turned her head to catch a fleeting look at an owl poking its head out from its hollow in the distance.

 _~Other hypothesis. Our reformed connections have created an unintended side effect of doubling the effects of blood, causing us to become overcharged from drinking.~_

 _This is going to happen every time!?_

 _~Likelihood is small. Highly improbable.~_

Twilight silently weaved through a series of low-hanging branches, dodging their otherwise intruding touch with abnormal ease.

 _I bet I could walk at a thirty degree angle to my side without losing pace._

 _~Test for another time. Third hypothesis. Applejack's blood holds a special effect due to some unknown compatibility.~_

Twilight paused, but only for a moment.

 _New hypothesis._

 _~Don't worry, it's unlikely. This didn't happen last time.~_

Twilight nodded fervently. _Final hypothesis?_

 _~Final hypothesis is that we are becoming a stronger vampony as time passes. If that's true, I suspect we may be experiencing a growth spurt and eventually we won't suffer such an extreme effect.~_

 _Conclusion?_

Ruby zipped around their soul two more times before finally coming to a somewhat normal pace. Within moments Twilight too felt the unbridled energy dim, and she slowed her pace. _~That's better,~_ Ruby said with a tired breath. _~Should be easier to contain ourselves now. As for my conclusion, it's a mixture of being deprived of blood along with us becoming a stronger vampony. Although, not dreading about it as much as you normally do might have had some effect.~_

Ruby recalled her memories of drinking, remembering her anticipation and eagerness in a way that made Twilight shudder. _Whether or not the mindset affects the taste, I am never going to look at it like that._

 _~Never's a long time.~_

Twilight ignored the statement, directing her attention to slowing herself down. She found it much easier now to close her eyes for a moment and ignore everything that was around her. Taking in a deep breath, she exhaled and resumed a normal walking pace. _From what you remember from drinking blood, this is a pretty big increase in energy. Would our growth as a vampony really be this quick?_

 _~I can't say anything for certain. We are the first vampony alicorn. Who knows what will happen. If I had to guess I'd say we might find unexpected boosts in some categories, but we'll still grow at a normal rate in others, if not slower. There's simply no telling how we'll turn out in a year, or even a hundred years.~_

Twilight let out a hum as she pondered the statement, but shortly smiled. _At least we'll be together to find out._

 _~Yeah, at least we have that,~_ Ruby replied happily, if not with some shyness.

"Twilight?" Rarity called out.

"Yes?" Twilight replied, but as she looked behind her it was apparent what Rarity was about to ask. While Rarity herself appeared only slightly out of breath even while carrying her bag containing her rapiers, the rest of the guard were panting heavily as they took the pause in their trek with relief.

"Oh… Sorry."

Rarity merely raised an eyebrow, but otherwise kept quiet as she turned to keep vigil while the guard caught their breath.

 _~She hasn't spoken much.~_

 _She's probably trying to stay focused._

 _~I can feel her resentment from here.~_

 _Yeah, me too,_ Twilight quietly replied. Despite Rarity's composed posture, the subtle tension in her body did not escape Twilight. Even when Rarity met her gaze, Twilight could see the building fury behind her otherwise hollow eyes.

Twilight then craned her head upward, taking note of the sun's position between the thick foliage of the Everfree Forest. Midday was only a few hours away, and they had nearly arrived at the castle.

"Twenty minute break, and then we'll continue again," Twilight announced. "We aren't too far away, so ready yourselves." The guards nodded, and most took the opportunity to relax while some elected to stand sentry alongside Rarity.

Twilight herself also took the chance for a break, and she sat atop a thick root of a tree. She then closed her eyes and focused inward, aiding Ruby where she could as they both silently prepared themselves for what was to come.

They needed something to aid them in their fight against Night Walker. Something he didn't have, or at least, wouldn't expect from them. The problem was, however, nothing was coming to mind. But for once in her life, Twilight didn't balk at such a notion. Instead, she focused her thoughts inward towards Ruby, and together, they focused on their singular goal.

The sensation was small, at first, and neither noticed it right away.

Whenever the bat ponies were in danger, Ruby was the one who became active and alive. Twilight would become all but invisible in such situations. The reverse was also true to some degree. Even when Twilight was on the inside, she would become stronger whenever her friends were threatened, allowing her the strength to override Ruby's body from time to time with something as simple as a hoof stamp.

It was always their intense desire to protect their loved ones that drove them, and now, those desires aligned with each other. For the first time, Twilight and Ruby were truly matched both emotionally and mentally, and before they realized it, they had lost themselves in an overwhelming sensation.

Their thoughts were consumed by the emotion building within them, their passions feeding off each other as they each added more and more fuel to the fire. Whenever one of them would feel an inkling of doubt or fear from their singular goal, it would be smothered by the confidence the other exuded. Whenever one of them would feel a flash of strength and courage, it would be strengthened further on by the other.

With each breath they took as they sat in concentration, their feelings and thoughts spiraled about each other faster and tighter to the point that it was nearly dizzying. Within their sense of self-empowerment was a warning of danger, but they continued on regardless, driven by their matching desires.

The feedback loop they found themselves in suddenly sputtered and ground to a halt as a great uneasiness came over them, and clarity came back to Twilight as she reopened her eyes and turned her head toward the castle. Peering into the distance, she saw a bat hanging from beneath a branch, and when Twilight made eye contact with it, it unlatched itself and flew away.

Twilight's eyes narrowed as she watched it disappear into the forest, and her wings bristled as she exposed her fangs.

 _He knows we're coming._

 _~We both knew this wasn't going to be a full-on surprise attack.~_

 _What do you think he's planning?_

 _~I don't know, but whatever it is, it isn't going to change the fact that we're going to kill him.~_

 _No, it doesn't._

Twilight looked in the bat's direction one more time, and then closed her eyes again as the two of them fell into their burning goal once again.

 _~This~ ends ~today~._


	53. Chapter 53

"We're here," Twilight quietly announced.

Hidden within the thick foliage, Twilight peered across the gorge at the Castle of the Two Sisters. Though it had been some time since she had last visited, everything was as she remembered: gaping holes in the walls, moss-covered stone, and an ever-present thin layer of fog no matter the time of day. Despite her previous visits, the castle still held many mysteries for Twilight, and while some part of her was inclined to search for them, she shoved such thoughts aside. Instead, she refocused on her goal, turning her curious and admiring gaze of the castle into one of scrutiny and suspicion.

At first glance the castle appeared as abandoned as always, but upon closer inspection, and thanks to her improved eyesight, she could make out the faint tell-tale signs of occupation. Dead grass indicating that rubble had been moved, darker sections of brick where the moss and vines had been torn, and gaping holes that had been haphazardly covered by various objects.

A breeze passed, and as Twilight sniffed, her feathers bristled.

 _~They're in there...~_

 _Which means so is he._

They both shuddered, and Twilight found her heart beating faster at the thought. Their determination began to crack now that they were mere minutes away from meeting Night Walker face to face, and a twinkle of fear began to seep through their defenses.

It took only a moment for it to be sealed away, and they both breathed more easily as they calmed.

 _It's not healthy locking it away like that, is it?_

 _~No, but it's only for a little while.~_

 _We should be scared, shouldn't we?_

 _~Yes, we should be.~_

Twilight briefly reflected on the notion of sealing one's fear, noting how she felt disconnected, yet more aware of her surroundings. The world felt simpler in this state, and she wondered why they had not done this before.

Then, she remembered Rarity, and the fear came back with resounding force.

 _~Twilight, it's okay. Calm down, it's okay. Twilight, listen to me!~_

Twilight took deep breaths as she dug her hooves into the ground, hanging on to Ruby's words for support.

 _~There we go, just take it easy. It's going to be okay, Twilight. We aren't going to end up like her. Keep breathing.~_

 _This… This is wrong, but…_

 _~I know, Twilight. I know...~_

A tear fell down Twilight's eye as she took in one last breath, and then she exhaled, feeling disconnected from the world once again.

 _~I'm just as worried about it as you are,~_ Ruby said, her voice also more relaxed than before. _~We're only doing this for a short time. I won't let us end up anything like Rarity. This is about surviving. We can't give into our fears while fighting him.~_

 _Then what do we give into?_

Twilight's chest twitched at the remaining emotion, one that they had unknowingly been kindling since they had entered the woods. But it was more apparent now, and while they didn't reject it, they didn't let it grow more than it already had.

 _~Anger is an easy emotion, especially for a vampony about to fight.~_ Ruby recalled how she fought Night Walker for her first bowl of blood, noting how easy it was to slip into a furious state. _~Some times it helps you through it, making you more aware of everything despite the fact you become so heated. Night Walker is probably counting on the fact that we'll give into it so easily, but I don't think we should seal it, not completely at least.~_

Twilight tensed her hooves.

 _No, I don't either. It sounds silly, but I think I'd have a much harder time moving my hooves if it wasn't for our anger, like it's driving me forward._

 _~All of this would be incredibly fascinating to study if we weren't about to face our worst enemy.~_

 _No kidding._

After eyeing the castle one last time, Twilight retreated from her viewpoint and retreated back to her group. Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and the thirty members of the Royal Guard looked at Twilight expectantly, all of them now recovered from their trek and awaiting orders.

Twilight paused for a moment as she, again, registered that she was in fact in charge of them, and by all accounts, a leader in a military operation. Thus far her only experience with Equestria's military had been with formal matters, either as Shining Armor's sister or as a Princess for a ceremonial event. But now that she was standing alongside the guard, or rather, commanding them for a fight, it made her wonder just when it had been that she stopped feeling anxiety in leading.

Ruby chuckled at Twilight's concern over the matter, and then urged Twilight to address the issue instead of wallowing in it.

"We'll run through it one more time," Twilight said.

Despite having memorized their orders, each pony perked their ears attentively.

"Night Walker and around two-hundred and fifty bat ponies are somewhere inside the castle. There are numerous elderly and children, so I'm estimating around one-hundred to one-hundred and fifty will actually be doing any fighting. As for how many of them are vamponies, there's simply no way of telling."

The guards' expressions tightened, having been informed of Night Walker's capabilities. The idea of one vampony was bad enough, but an unknown number was more than disconcerting.

"We'll enter along the eastern wall once Ember Mane returns. Mist Hoof and the others will have already found positions on the inside, gathering what ponies they can to help us. When it starts, we all stick together, move quickly, and we hit Night Walker with everything we got. We can't afford to let this fight draw out."

Silver Shield stepped forward. "And if some of the bat ponies still intend to fight during, or afterward?"

Twilight didn't reply at first, but with a deep breath, and a quick exchange with Ruby, she replied, "Our goal is to save as many lives as we can, but your lives are just as important. I can't ask you to not protect yourselves."

Silver Shield nodded, and stepped back.

"As for your roles," Twilight continued. "Unicorns will focus on defensive spells, making sure we keep our distance from any vamponies that charge in. Earth ponies along the perimeter, and pegasi covering our top. There's a good chance that we may be split up, if that happens, make your way to Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Silver Shield, or myself."

"And when we do find Night Walker," Rarity said. "It will be as a group, not alone, correct?"

Twilight nodded, understanding Rarity's implication. "This is about saving Equestria, not just about us."

Rarity eyed her, but seemingly accepted the answer.

Rainbow Dash smacked her hooves together. "This has been a long time coming. We're gonna show him what happens when he messes with us."

Twilight smirked at Rainbow Dash's words, finding that she was in agreement, a notion that would have troubled her greatly a few months ago. "Let's get ready, everypony," Twilight said as she cocked her ears. A moment later she turned in Ember Mane's direction just as he emerged from the forest.

"Everything is set to go," he announced. "The hole is secured, and the others are gathering the supporters."

"How many vamponies?" Rarity asked.

"Between twenty and thirty is our guess," he replied. "Most of the ponies are scattered between the main rooms and the lower dungeons."

"Best we could have asked for, I suppose. Where's Night Walker?"

"Ebon Wing confirmed that he was in the throne room."

"Well then, shall we get started?" Rarity asked.

Twilight nodded, and with a wave of her hoof, they began to fall in line as Ember Mane guided them to their entry point. And as they stealthily wove their way to the castle, keeping away from potentially prying eyes, Twilight's thoughts shifted onto her environment. The faint hoof steps around her, the light rustling of bushes, and the rising urge in her throat even though she was sated. Twilight and Ruby were fully aware of the consequences of what could happen today, of the ponies that might die due to their orders, and while that notion sent Twilight's stomach for a roll, she could not help but trot a bit quicker in excitement.

And for once, she didn't question that excitement.

* * *

After traversing a wide path around the castle, Ember Mane stopped the group at the edge of the forest. They were on the other side of the gorge now thanks to crossing deadfall that was out of sight from the walls. Now all that remained was a short stretch of open grass between them and an unusually large hole in the castle walls. The fog was thicker along the ramparts, capable of shrouding any pony watching this section of the wall, and so the group waited with tension.

Twilight pressed her hooves into the ground as she waited, caught between the sensation of bursting energy and steady patience. The simple joy of stalking a target, of preparing oneself for attack, was hard to ignore. But it did not overwhelm her, and with Ruby's assistance, she steadied herself.

Time seemed to stretch as they waited in silence, their eyes locked onto the looming walls that became more foreboding by the minute. Worry began to set in as they watched, and when they did finally spy movement from the hole in the wall, their breath caught. A head popped out, Willow Shade or Cloud Shadow, Twilight wasn't certain, but whoever it was looked directly at their hiding place and motioned them forward.

"Follow the left wall when you get inside," Ember Mane whispered before darting forward. Twilight and Rarity were on his heels immediately, with the guards and Rainbow Dash only a few steps behind them. They reached the wall in a few short but heart-pounding moments, and they quickly found themselves within the dark castle where Willow Shade greeted them. As directed, they turned left and continued their movement through a darkened hallway, trusting Ember Mane to guide them deeper into the castle.

Their hooves echoed in the hall, and far too loudly for Twilight's taste. Her confidence in their surprise was changing into urgency at the concern of somepony hearing them, but she grit her teeth as she dismissed the worry as best as she could.

 _Stick together. We can't get separated. Trust them,_ she whispered to herself, and Ruby aided her by stifling the concern.

 _~We can do this. Stick to the plan. Move swiftly.~_

 _Attack at the right moment, overwhelm him with numbers and don't give him a chance to react._

 _~Charge him from the side, use magic to hold his movements.~_

 _Evade his shadows, don't let him grab a hold, stay on top._

 _~Go for the throat, the first available weak spot.~_

 _Don't let up, keep attacking. Kill him._

 _~Kill him.~_

 _Kill hi-_

Twilight, along with the rest of the group, skidded to a halt in the hallway, having nearly collided with a bat pony who had unknowingly turned the corner onto their path. Gasps were heard alongside the sound of magic beginning to twinkle, but before anypony could act, Twilight whispered in surprise, "Lily Wing!"

Lily Wing flinched at her name being called, bringing her out of her shock from seeing Twilight and her entourage standing before her. "Ruby?"

Twilight smiled in reply, but that smile quickly faded when Twilight took notice of Lily Wing's red eyes, and a note of trepidation entered her voice. "Lily Wing, listen to me."

Lily Wing's face went from shock into guarded suspicion, and she crouched low as she revealed her new fangs. "No, it's Twilight, isn't it?" Lily Wing remarked.

At once Rarity had her three rapiers out and pointing at Lily Wing, with the rest of the guard shuffling into an attack stance as well.

Alarm shot through Twilight's body as Ruby thrashed about, screaming at Twilight to stop them. But before she could, Lily Wing asked with a sharp voice, "Where's Lunar Pearl?"

"Lunar Pearl?" Twilight mumbled in surprise.

"Lunar Pearl!" Lily Wing replied as her voice rose. "Where is she? I know she went after you!"

"She's safe!" Twilight said, all while making hushing motions with her hooves. "Please, just let me-"

"Tell me where she is right now, or I let everypony know you're here," Lily Wing whispered. Her eyes narrowed and her muscles visibly tensed.

"Dusktown," Rarity quickly said. Lily Wing glared at her, appearing offended that she was even there. "She's at Dusktown."

"If she isn't," Lily Wing threatened.

"She's there," Twilight said, stepping between Rarity and Lily Wing. She was slow with her movements, ensuring that she didn't do anything to startle Lily Wing. "I promise she's there. She's safe. But right now, we could really use your help."

"To take down Night Walker?" Lily Wing asked, briefly breaking eye contact with Twilight to glance over the apprehensive guards.

"Yes, that's exactly why we're here." Twilight dared a step closer, and spoke softly, "He has to be stopped, Lily Wing. You know that, don't you?"

Lily Wing took a step back. Her wings were flared open, ready to take flight at a moment's notice, and her look of suspicions had yet to change.

Twilight heard the guards shift behind her, and she raised a wing in command to stop their movement. She didn't look away from Lily Wing as she did, and Twilight dared another step towards her. "Lily Wing, I don't know how the vampirism is for you, but you have to trust me. We just want to stop Night Walker for everyone's sake, including Lunar Pearl's."

At the mention of her sister's name, Lily Wing's eyes narrowed, and she stood up from her crouched position. "I don't care _who_ it is that helps us, Twilight. I only care about my sister." And with that, Lily Wing strode forward and past Twilight.

At Twilight's order, no pony blocked Lily Wing's path. Within moments, she had passed the group, making her way to the exit with haste. After she had rounded a corner, Twilight stared at the spot Lily Wing disappeared from, and a sense of sadness came over her.

"So… We're just gonna ignore that happened?" Rainbow Dash asked.

 _~... Let's go…~_

Nodding to herself, Twilight turned forward without a word, and they continued their march. She buried the worries that came from running into Lily Wing.

There was only one thing she and Ruby had to focus on, and any distraction at this point could prove fatal.

After a series of winding corridors, they soon found themselves in a wide dining room. Awaiting them was Mist Hoof, Cloud Shadow, Ebon Wing, and some fifty odd bat ponies. Twilight now recognized where she was in the castle, and so she confidently strode forward.

"Mist Hoof!" Twilight said as loud as she dared.

"Twilight," he replied, and he quickly went to meet her. "Night Walker is in the throne room just ahead. So far he doesn't suspect anything."

"Good. Hopefully it'll stay that way until we're on top of him. Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and I will be the ones to stop him. The guard will support us and attack where they can but will mostly provide cover against the vamponies that attack, and the rest of you are meant to keep the other bat ponies from interfering." Twilight looked past him and at the bat ponies. They were whispering fervently to each other as they glanced between Twilight and the guards. "Are you sure you all will be okay?" Twilight asked, directing her voice to them.

"We can handle ourselves," one replied. "The sooner we finish this the sooner we can move on."

"The rear's clear," Willow Shade announced as she came up from behind. "Aside from Lily Wing who took off, no pony has noticed you."

"Lily Wing?" Mist Hoof asked.

"Later," Twilight said. "Right now let's focus on the main goal. Is everypony ready?"

Everyone stood tall as they looked back at her, each affirming in their own way their preparation whether through a snort or flexed wings.

Twilight's breath caught at the sight of so many ponies looking at her with such hardened expressions. "Good, get ready."

Twilight moved towards a closed door, placing her hoof on the handle as she gave one last look to all the ponies behind her. After that last sweeping glance, Twilight pulled on the handle and threw open the door.

Two rooms were all that stood between her and Night Walker, and she could hardly contain herself. Even as she burst into the main hallway where some bat ponies laid scattered about in rest, she only quickened her pace and ignored the startled cries of alarm. She briefly took note of their look of surprise at her and the mixed group at her heels. To her relief, none of them showed any sign of stopping Twilight, and so she kept her pace.

She and the group galloped into the next room, and there at the other end of it stood the tall, closed throne room doors. By now the castle was filled with shouts of surprise and screams, and this time, some bat ponies reacted. Up ahead of Twilight three vamponies snarled at her and the advancing group before they charged forward to intercept. Twilight flared her horn, and in one sweeping motion of her head, magically threw the three vamponies aside and into the castle wall. She winced at the thud they made, but she continued on, reassuring herself they were tough enough to recover from such a hit.

The throne room doors were only a few feet away now, and Twilight's eyes narrowed as she magically grabbed the handles. "Get ready!" she shouted, revealing her fangs as she charged forward, readying her pool of magic to unleash a spell the moment she set sights on Night Walker.

Then, she threw open the doors, and a wave of shadows washed over them from within the throne room.

The group skidded to a halt as their vision was engulfed, to the point that they couldn't even see their snouts. Panic erupted between them, and their organized formation quickly fell into a huddled mass. The unicorns lit their horns as brightly as they could, finding in dismay that they were only able to reveal a few feet around themselves. Without being able to see what was above them, Rainbow Dash and the other pegasi landed and warily peered about. Hooves stepped on other hooves as they all glanced wildly about the suffocating darkness, all while shouting out their ranks and whatever they could see.

Rarity, however, remained calm at the front, and kept her light low, only using enough to hold onto her rapiers. Her ears pricked at each noise she could make out in the commotion, carefully balancing on the tips of her hooves in preparation to react.

There was nothing except the smothering darkness, and even after the group began to quiet down, there was no sign of it fading away.

Rarity exhaled as she focused her senses outward, taking in as much information as she could both physically and magically, and she found what she sought. Gripping onto one of the rapiers with all her might, she thrust it forward through the darkness some twenty-feet ahead of her, and although the sound of metal piercing stone was all she heard, the darkness began to clear. Cries of relief came as everypony could see again, while some remained quiet as they watched the shadows meld back into their proper places. Rarity, however, kept her unblinking eyes forward until she could finally make out her target's form.

He had dodge her rapier by the smallest of margins, and was now looking at her with a passive gaze. "That was a good throw," Shade Flare stated.

Rarity quickly pulled her rapier back, and then drew her weapons about her, slowly moving them in methodical patterns. When the darkness had completely vanished, she briefly glanced at her surroundings before refocusing back on Shade Flare.

"Where's Twilight?" she asked, and it was only then that the others realized that she was gone.

"What'd you do with her?" Rainbow Dash followed up, her feathers bristling.

"She's with Night Walker," Shade Flare replied with a dismissive tone. "We're to wait here until they settle things."

"Pff, like that's gonna happen," Rainbow Dash remarked. "Catch up when you can, Rares." Rainbow Dash then flapped her wings, and propelled herself towards the nearest hole in the ceiling. Her escape, however, was quickly cut off when three bat ponies appeared at the hole's entrance, and each of them glared at Rainbow Dash with piercing red eyes.

"Oh for the love of-" Rainbow Dash said, as she pumped her wings faster in order to barrel through.

Meanwhile, Rarity hadn't taken her eyes off Shade Flare. "You seem to be under the impression that we'll accept standing idly by," she said. "Or that you'll be able to actually stop us from assisting Twilight."

"Both, if you have to know," Shade Flare responded. Raising his hoof, tendrils of shadow began to stretch from the nearby nooks and cracks, and they slowly began to converge towards Rarity. "Regardless of the method, my only goal is to keep you all here."

"I'm sorry to disappoint," Rarity replied. "But I can't afford to spend time here with you. Then again, if you insist, perhaps I can take some of this pent up anger out on you!" Rarity's eyes snapped wide as a furious expression came across her face, and with a three pronged attack, she charged Shade Flade.

* * *

Twilight found herself coughing at the sudden lurch she felt as the shadows overtook her, and she blindly waved a hoof in front of her. She was surrounded by an unnatural black, unable to see even a few feet ahead of her despite how much light she created with her horn. But her confusion quickly faded, and she assumed a low position. Her ears were on edge as she listened intently, and she shortly realized just how quiet it was. No shouting, no galloping; it was entirely too quiet.

The darkness swirled around her, and she waited as her heart pounded in her chest. Seconds ticked by one after another as anxiety began to grow within Twilight.

 _Ruby! Soul Sight, now!_

Not bothering to close her eyes, Twilight kept her senses tuned as her eyes began to glow white. It was disorienting having Ruby use Soul Sight while Twilight tried to focus on their surroundings, but it was not in vain, and the soul they sought appeared before them in the darkness.

Despite them seeing it just for a moment, something within Twilight and Ruby snapped, and Twilight found herself screaming as she shot a magical beam in its direction. Her spell cut through the darkness and crashed into a stone wall, grinding against it with such force that the stone buckled and cracked before the spell twinkled out.

"Well, well…", a voice called out as the darkness began to recede.

Twilight's neck hairs rose at the sound, and she found herself already firing another spell in its direction before she could think.

This time she saw him dodge it, and as the shadows finally faded, her eyes locked onto Night Walker's. There he was, across from them, and it was then Twilight realized she was in an entirely different part of the castle. She was in one of the many great halls with pillars and looming archways, and without another pony in sight.

"If it isn't Princess Twilight, and if I'm not mistaken, Princess Ruby as well." He eyed them over with a smile, looking at them more in fascination than actually concern. "What a surprise."

"Night Walker," Twilight growled.

"I must say, this has been one of the most—"

Twilight didn't give him a chance to finish before she fired another beam while bolting directly at him despite the ease with which he dodged.

With a furious scream that matched the one Ruby shouted internally, Twilight magically grabbed ahold of Night Walker and flung him towards her, slamming her hoof into his jaw with all her might. His head whipped from the impact, sending a stream of blood gushing from his mouth. Without pause, Twilight reaffixed her magical grasp on him, and then slammed his body into a nearby pillar, cracking the stone.

At the impact, Night Walker slumped over, motionless. Twilight glared at him with wild eyes, breathing heavily while fangs gleamed.

Any chance of remaining calm or collected while they were in front of Night Walker had been thrown aside in one heated and irrational moment. It was like a switch had been flicked, one that accessed a reservoir of negative emotions both Twilight and Ruby had built for Night Walker these past few weeks. There were no thoughts between them as a fire rose up in their souls, building back and forth, spurring each other to greater heights. Their already deadly vampony instincts were fueled by that anger, causing them to move with more zeal with each action.

When Night Walker let out a groan, Twilight's body immediately reacted. She darted towards him and opened her jaw as wide as she could, zeroing in on his throat. But just before she latched onto him, Night Walker shot his leg forward, connecting squarely with Twilight's chest.

Twilight's eyes went wide as the air left her lungs, and she was sent flying across the stone floor.

 _~Twilight!~_

Twilight clutched at her chest as she gasped for air, hardly registering Ruby.

"I suppose you think you can beat me easily, especially considering you won most of our fights," Night Walker called out, already back on his hooves as he brushed off some dust. "Motivation must be encouraged when bettering a pony, even if one must sacrifice their pride in doing so. Even when you drank blood for the first time, I was more concerned with your growth rather than an easy victory."

Twilight wheezed as she propped herself up with a leg, finding that they were shaking too much to fully stand upon.

"A broken bone doesn't impede you as it would most, but it still hurts, doesn't it?" Night Walker asked. His posture then straightened as his back contorted with a series of cracks. "Though, I don't suppose I ever taught you how to heal yourself quickly. Even if I had, how much blood did you come here with? One pony? Two? Five?"

"Night… Walker…" Twilight hissed, and her feathers began to bristle.

Twilight's breathing was quickening, and despite her vampony senses, her vision was narrowing. Even Ruby's normally expansive awareness was focusing along with her. Their essence began to move around each other in a rhythmic fashion, pulsing in such a way that their energies started to align and resonate.

Night Walker smiled. "That's quite a look for you, Twilight. Such a predatory manner. It almost matches the expression I envisioned you wearing when I turned you into a vampony."

"Night…. Walker…", Twilight said with more strength. As she regained her balance, she stamped her hoof on the ground, cracking the stone as her horn began to flare out of her control, and Night Walker's smile fell. He then quickly summoned his soul sight, turning his red eyes white, and he furrowed his brow at what he saw.

"Night Walker…" Twilight hatefully said again, her eyes glowing white, and as she lifted her hoof, a gentle breeze began to stir within the great hall.

Had Night Walker been a heartbeat later in dismissing his Soul Sight, he wouldn't have had time to block Twilight's attack. With a burst of speed, she had crossed the distance between them with two steps, and was now pushing him back as her hooves delivered blow after blow.

Night Walker roared in return, and after blocking Twilight's next attack, he countered with his own, catching her in the side. But the blow did not send her flying as he expected, and he snarled at Twilight's hot gaze upon him. Despite her attacks on him, her eyes remained white, and she hissed at him between her exposed fangs.

The wind continued to rise around them, now blowing so much that Twilight's mane and tail were beginning to lift up, and she continued her assault.

She screamed, hissed and snapped, trading blow for blow with him as she pushed him further down the hall. Even when Night Walker managed to strike her, she continued on, never yielding an inch of ground as her voice and the wind continued to rise.

A noticeable tension filled the space around them, the unmistakable sensation of magic becoming thick in the air, accompanied by a low hum that caused a physical vibration across their skin.

Night Walker cursed as he waved his hoof, causing shadows to form between him and Twilight. His magical shield managed to stop Twilight's hoof in place, and he took the momentary break to leap away from her.

Twilight did not pursue him. Instead, she continued to glare at him with her piercing white eyes as her mane and tail freely flowed upwards, and she was then lifted into the air. As the magic grew around her, her chest felt like it was being electrocuted. The waves of energy bouncing back and forth between her and Ruby were reaching an irrepressible point, but they continued on, moving more on instinct than conscious thought.

Somewhere in the back of Twilight's mind, she was aware of how similar this sensation was to when she used the Elements of Harmony, but instead of feeling connected to six ponies, she felt only Ruby.

The magic was reaching its peak, and a sudden bright light emanating from Twilight filled the great hall. Night Walker used what few shadows he could to cover himself, appearing as nothing more than a dark spot before an increasingly incandescent white light. Then, for only a moment, there was an eerie pause of silence as the wind and magic ceased.

And then that moment ended. A torrent of blazing light and barely controlled magic ripped through the air directly into Night Walker.

The stone at the impact location buckled from the sheer magical force, turning to dust in the maelstrom of energies. The wooden beams high above split from the explosive effects, and the sound of highly condensed magic rang throughout the hall as it obliterated the center of the room. Coupled with the spell's deafening noise, Twilight's scream could be heard.

And as quickly as it had begun, the storm ceased, and Twilight fell to the ground.

There was a pain unlike anything Twilight had ever felt deep within her, even worse than the time she had shredded her and Ruby's souls. It felt like a pony had pressed a white hot brand into her chest, and her mind dulled as her body jerked about. Ruby shared the pain, and together they shrieked and moaned together as Twilight clutched her chest.

It was so much that Twilight's vision would fade to white for moments at a time, blocking her sight as the tears fell down her cheeks.

They did not know how much time passed during their agony, but eventually, the pain began to lessen, leaving them struggling to pull themselves back into some semblance of sense and order. But even as they could begin to form rational thoughts, a sound caught their attention, and dread filled them.

It was a weak laugh, one that came out between fits of coughing.

Twilight grit her teeth as she turned her head in its direction, squinting her eyes through the tears and pain to see a figure standing a short distance away.

Even with her blurry vision she could see that despite his laughter, Night Walker had not escaped the magic unscathed.

Numerous sections of his coat had been seared, more than what a regular pony could live through. Although he was standing, not all of his limbs were braced in the right direction, and one had even bent in multiple places. But despite his injuries and awful look, he wore a fanatical grin. Even as he coughed up blood, his teeth shone from his smile.

"Well... done," Night Walker said. "That... my princesses, was truly spectacular."

Twilight's mouth opened and closed in a dumbfounded expression, unable to move her limp body.

"What's with that look? You should feel exhilarated, proud even! Don't you understand what you just did?"

Twilight's gaze didn't change.

"I see," he replied. He then sat himself down and stretched his foreleg, popping the joint back into its socket before bending the arm back into its proper direction. "I don't suppose you would be able to comprehend much after that. But to put it simply, you just performed something that's never been done before." He snarled as a foreleg snapped together, and he tentatively gave it a flex before giving her a sly grin. "A Soul Resonance with only one soul. Although, I guess you don't really have just one soul anymore, do you?"

Twilight let out a weak noise.

"Ah ah ah, don't strain yourself," Night Walker replied. "What you just did was very dangerous, and rather poorly done if I must say. You damaged yourself far more than you did me." After flexing his foreleg again, he turned his focus onto his other wounds, and his black coat began to reappear across his charred skin.

"You see, broken bones and burned flesh heal much more easily than a cracked soul. Still, I should be lucky that's all I suffered despite your lack of control. I dare say if you attempt something like that again as carelessly as you did, you'd risk tearing yourself apart entirely."

"Buh… Ugh…" Twilight replied, now finally being able to move her hooves as she tried to support herself with them.

"You know, if you weren't an alicorn, I'd say you would have killed yourself back there," Night Walker mused. "How fascinating your resilience is."

"I'm not… Done…", Twilight mumbled as she began to lift herself.

"Oh, but I think you are," Night Walker said. Flinching as he straightened himself, he walked over to Twilight and kicked her hooves out from beneath her. "You _are_ done. You've failed."

He looked down on her as she groaned in pain, and he let out a 'tsk' as she attempted to lift herself up again. With a growl he latched his jaw onto Twilight's back leg and threw her across the room, licking the blood from his lips with a smile. "Don't you understand, Twilight? You're done, and now, there's nothing left to stop me."

"No," Twilight weakly replied, struggling to get herself up.

"More ponies are going to die now. Because you weren't up to the task to stop me." Watching her closely as she rose, Night Walker began to circle her. "Because neither you or Ruby were capable of being a Princess. You two can't protect anything."

Halfway up, Twilight grit her teeth as she locked eyes with him, meekly raising a wing between her and him as a poor excuse for a shield.

"You came here with such a small force, without the aid of the Royal Sisters, and without a plan. Did you really think that this was enough? For me, you thought this was enough!" Night Walker shouted. "You're naive, Princess Twilight and Ruby. And because of that naivety, ponies will die. You two will die."

Twilight stumbled onto all four hooves, barring her teeth as she prepared to defend herself, but Night Walker merely gave her a dismissive glance, and turned away. "Though, you won't have the luxury of dying first, that I can assure you. That's the price for disappointing me so much."

"W-Where are you going?" Twilight cried out, wincing at the pain that was thankfully beginning to dull.

"Ponyville," Night Walker replied. "Perhaps you will have a little more motivation if I pay it a visit."

Twilight snarled in response, and she flared her horn. At once the wind began to pick up and her eyes became white once again, but before the energy could cascade further, the wind died down, and Twilight's eyes returned to their red color.

"Hoo?" Night Walker said with interest as he turned around to face her. "Collecting yourself are we?"

Twilight breathed heavily as she stared at him, finding enough strength in her legs to manage standing.

 _~We… We can't do that again,~_ Ruby exclaimed with a pained voice.

 _I know!_ Twilight screamed. She didn't tear her eyes away from Night Walker even as tears flowed down her cheeks. _But we have to stop him! We can't let him hurt anypony else!_

"It's a powerful trick, I'll admit it," Night Walker said as he squared his body to Twilight. "But it isn't enough on it's own, not while it's that unstable." His grin spread wider, and he stepped towards them. "Just how are you going to stop me then, Twilight? Ruby? How!?"

Twilight glared at him, and she took a shaky step towards him, and then another, this time with more strength.

Night Walker whipped his head as his voice rose in volume. "Just how in Equestria do you think you're going to win this? How much longer should I toy with you before I end you and everything you've known and loved?"

Twilight screamed as she fell into a charging pace, and Night Walker sprinted to meet her.

"Come on, Princess!" he shouted as he landed a hoof directly in her face. "Show me!"

Twilight was knocked back from the blow, but she still stood. Even though her body burned from her injuries, she stood.

 _~Keep going! I'll do what I can to lessen the pain!~_

With a shriek, Twilight resumed her charge, and she flared her horn.

Night Walker laughed in response, summoning shadows with frightening speed to block Twilight's vision of him so she could not magically grab ahold of him.

Her eyes flickered with a white light. _~To the left!~_

Twilight kicked forward, shooting her body through the shadows on the left side, and finding Night Walker directly in front of her. She snapped at him with her maw, missing his neck by inches as he reflexively dodged her.

 _Keep him moving!_

Twilight swept low with her hooves, causing Night Walker to jump away, and in the time that it took for his body to fall back to the ground, Twilight was already at his face again.

 _~Dodge right!~_

Twilight twisted her body, narrowly avoiding a stretch of shadow that had shot out from below her. Night Walker took that moment to continue running backwards, and Twilight pursued the moment she regained her balance.

Night Walker's grin seemed to only grow. "Today is just full of wonderful surprises, isn't it?"

Twilight's eyes were now completely white, but although Ruby's eyes were focused on Night Walker's soul, Twilight was focused on his body.

"Let's see how far you can go!" he shouted in excitement.

Night Walker pushed himself towards Twilight with his back legs, and the two of them began to trade blows again. Twilight let out a cry of pain each time Night Walker landed a hit, drawing out the pain Ruby had dulled, but she continued on. Ruby strained herself to ease what pain she could, all while detecting the faintest signs of action with Night Walker's soul. Whenever a fiber began to pulse, whenever a muscle began to flex, it was all information for Twilight and Ruby to use, anything that could hint at what Night Walker's next move might be. Steadily Twilight and Ruby fought on, and they began to find their pace.

Night Walker shot another stretch of shadow, and Twilight's body twirled at once to avoid it's touch, and she landed a hoof on Night Walker's face with her spinning momentum.

 _~Keep moving!~_

 _Duck low!_

 _~Avoid the left!~_

 _Hit him now!_

 _~Harder! Harder! He's attacking now!~_

 _Keep going! Hold it together! We can do this!_

 _~We can do this!~_

 _We can kill him!_

 _~Kill him!~_

 _Kill him!_

Twilight let loose a primal scream, and she lept into the air with her open wings. With her magic, she reached high above herself and grabbed a hold of a loose section of wood six feet in length, tearing it from the support beams.

Night Walker paused as he looked up at her, and let out a wild laugh at her plan. At once shadows rose up from beneath him and towards Twilight, enshrouding him from Twilight's sight, but not from Ruby's.

Together they were already running through their minds what his next move might be, what direction he might move in and how they would counter, as they dove down at him and the stretching shadows with their makeshift spear zipping in tow.

 _~Keep him on the defensive!~_

 _Don't let up!_

Twilight's wing jerked, a sign that their body was quickly approaching its limit.

 _No matter what happens!_

 _We ~are~ ending ~this!~_

With shout, Twilight whipped her head downward, sending the splintered wooden beam shooting downward with such force that it pierced even the stone. The foundation rumbled from the impact, and after a few tense moments, the shadows began to fade.

Twilight landed on her hooves, breathing heavily as she looked towards the shadows with wide eyes. "Why…", she asked.

The pain could no longer be suppressed, and Twilight's legs began to shake beneath her.

"Why...", she asked again, tightening her facial expressions as the pain caught up to her and tears began to fall.

A harsh laugh was heard from within the shadows, and the soul sight faded from Twilight's eyes as they became red again.

"Why didn't you dodge it!?" she screamed.

The shadows faded back into their respective places, revealing Night Walker's impaled body. The wooden beam had pierced his chest at such an angle that he would have had to lean back and willingly let it hit him. But Twilight did not trust her sight, and she readied herself for another go.

"Come on!" she screamed at him. "I'm not going to fall for a stupid trick like that! Come on!"

With the wood blocking his view, Night Walker tilted his head to look at her, and he gave her a pained smile, and blood fell from his lips.

 _Ruby!_

 _~Already on it!~_

It took effort, but Ruby resummoned the soul sight, and together they stared apprehensively in Night Walker's direction, ready to move should he have appeared somewhere else away from the obviously fake pony copy of himself.

But his soul was where his body was, and a gasp escaped Twilight.

"Why…" Twilight asked quietly.

Night Walker chuckled, though the act of doing so appeared to take a toll on him as he wheezed with pained breaths. "You finally… showed it… That expression I've been waiting for…"

His smile vanished as his body jerked, and blood erupted from his mouth.

Twilight stood in shock, slowly shaking her head side to side as the soul sight left her eyes again. "This is a trick, it has to be," she whispered.

Night Walker's breathing had become ragged, and he spoke with a tired voice, "No… Trick… At least, not the one you expect."

"Why then?" Twilight asked, and despite the pain to do so, she marched towards him as her voice rose. "Why did you do all of this then!? What's your plan? Why did you do any of this?"

She stopped on his right side, and slammed a hoof onto a portion of his chest that wasn't occupied by wood. "Tell me! Why!?"

Night Walker grit his teeth from the pain, and for a moment, he looked as if he was about to scream in agony. But slowly, his pained expression lessened, and his smile returned.

Twilight blinked in disbelief, and then her expression tightened as she bared his fangs. Without another word, Ruby resummoned her soul sight, and they delved deep into Night Walker's soul, searching for something, anything that would answer their questions.

What Twilight and Ruby saw, was a dying soul.

The normally active and glowing fibers began to dim one by one, starting with the outer layers while slowly working inwards. To Twilight and Ruby's surprise, when some sections did become entirely dark, they simply peeled away.

False personas, forced connections, everything that was artificial that Night Walker had created lost its place and fell away from his soul, fading into nothingness as the white light of his being grew weaker. As all the lights began to go out, Twilight was dimly aware of her tears.

Her ears twitched at the sound of Night Walker's breathing becoming slower, his heartbeat becoming quieter. Everytime he exhaled, another layer of his soul became dark, and his soul as a whole became smaller. Then, Twilight and Ruby finally took notice of movement within the surrounding darkness, and they recognized the black shadows that they had only glimpsed before. As the lights became dimmer, the moving darkness began to grasp what it could, nearly smothering what little Night Walker had left.

It looked so small now, so vulnerable and afraid as the shadows descended upon the last flickering light. It didn't resemble the soul of stallion, especially one that had committed so many heinous acts. Those marks were there, of course, but the rest seemed off. It was only when the tiny soul pulsed and flashed in panic at the coming darkness that it dawned on Twilight and Ruby what the soul resembled.

It was like that of a child.

Unable to take a moment more, they ended the soul sight, and they saw Night Walker's face staring back at them with an expression they had never seen him make before; one that they never imagined he could make. He was terrified, confused even, and he weakly extended a hoof towards Twilight. Pawing in her direction, he gave her a pleading expression, all while moving his mouth. But the only sound to escape his lips were faint gasps for air, and soon, his struggles lessened, and he became still.

Twilight stood frozen at the sight, and before she or Ruby could act, they found they could no longer hold back the toll of their battle, and Twilight collapsed.


	54. Chapter 54

_Two days later…_

After affixing her crown atop her head, Twilight looked to her friends. "Is everyone ready?"

A large space had been cleared within the library, allowing them to sit in a small circle. Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy signaled they were ready in their own ways, each of them wearing their Elements of Harmony. Twilight then shifted her focus to Rarity who sat in the center of their circle, also wearing her Element.

"Are you ready?" Twilight asked.

Rarity held a passive expression, and replied with a calm, "Yes."

"Okay then, let's start," Twilight announced, and then closed her eyes.

The others followed in suit, focusing their attention on their Elements as they willed them to life. The magic was quick to respond, as it always was, and soon, a warm tingle was felt in their bodies as a gentle breeze began to build within the library.

The sensation of using the Elements of Harmony was as Twilight remembered, but thanks to recent events in her life, there was now more she could experience.

As she and the girls opened their eyes, all of which emitted a white light, Twilight looked around herself with fascination.

Twilight saw how the Elements reacted to each of her friends soul. They gently filled the open spaces among the fibers of their being, caressing the piece of their soul that their respective Element was drawn to. Even when Twilight glanced at her own chest, she could see and feel how the Element of Magic surrounded her very being.

 _~This is amazing~,_ Ruby whispered in awe. Temporarily isolated from Twilight due to their concerns of the Element of Magic finding two souls instead of one, Ruby watched from her bubbled vantage point as Twilight's soul was filled.

 _~It's cushioning you~,_ Ruby surmised. _~This must be how it negates any damage that might occur during the resonance.~_

The Element of Magic then pulsed, and Twilight and Ruby watched as it stretched its magic away from her and towards her friends. Like a purple colored ribbon, it connected to the others souls, and theirs did the same with their own colors. With the links forged, the rainbow colored bridges that spanned across the air began to pulse, and the magical power quickly rose.

 _~Look at how it's syncing you all together, and how smooth and stable it is. This puts our attempt to shame!~_

 _Ruby._

 _~Right, sorry. Keep focusing.~_

Twilight nodded, and she looked to Rarity.

Rarity's Element of Generosity had filled the entirety of her soul, but the grey substance that was the Hunter's curse still clung to her, stifling her very being. Twilight's ears fell at seeing it again, but she dismissed her worries as she focused on her goal. They did not know if it would succeed, but they had to try. Rarity had never undergone the ritual that unlocks the Hunter's curse in full. They believed it was the Elements of Harmony that had activated the Hunter's curse in Rarity, back when they tried to remove the vampirism in Twilight, and it was with the Elements power that they hoped suppress the curse once more.

The windows of the library buffeted as the energies arced between them, and soon their bodies were lifted into the air. The books rattled on the shelves, and despite cabinets being closed, their doors were thrown open and papers were scattered about. But Twilight ignored her surroundings. She and the rest of the girls were entirely focused on Rarity at the center, all of them wishing for the same thing as they prayed to their Elements.

They called upon their memories of Rarity, cherished recollections of who she was before everything had begun. Her joys, her faults, her dramatic tendencies, and above all, her smile. Her genuine and natural smile.

The gems on their Elements glowed their respective colors, and Twilight and Ruby saw the energy bounce between them faster and faster. This was soul resonance on a level far above Twilight and Ruby's attempt, and with their latest understanding of the concept, they could only watch in awe at the spectacle that was seen by their eyes alone.

 _~Here it comes!~_ Ruby exclaimed.

Before the magic reached its peak, Twilight tore her gaze from the wondrous sight around her to look at Rarity's face. Despite the power flowing within the room, Rarity still held her passive expression, patiently waiting as one would for anything mundane. A tear fell down Twilight's cheek, and she threw her wings open as her body was filled with magic.

 _Please, let this work. Please… Fix Rarity._

A bright light filled the room as the building magic reached its peak, and a wave of colors shot forth from their necklaces, gathering together in a dazzling rainbow before crashing down onto Rarity. The very color of their souls pierced her being, and even Ruby had to dismiss their soul sight as the crescendo of light blinded them.

When Twilight's sight returned, she found herself and the girls sitting in a daze on the floor. Twilight shook her head as the disorientation dissipated, and she stumbled onto her hooves.

"R-Rarity?" Twilight asked as she refocused her gaze on the center of the room.

Rarity was lying on the floor, and her eyes fluttered open at the sound of her name. With a soft groan, she slowly lifted herself, cupping the side of her head with a hoof.

The rest of the girls stared with bated breath, as Rarity looked around. She blinked once, then twice as her eyes flitted back and forth. But when she turned and locked eyes with Twilight, her eyes widened, and she spoke with a soft voice, "Twilight?"

Twilight stepped forward with an anxious expression. "Rarity? Are you alright? Did… Did it work?"

For a moment Rarity looked at her with a blank expression, but then her lip began to tremble, and moisture built up in her eyes. Immediately her stone expression fell away into grief, and her ears fell flat. "T-Twilight!" she cried.

Twilight's heart twinged, and she dashed forward, wrapping her hooves around Rarity. "I'm here, I'm here! Are you okay? Is it gone?"

Rarity buried her face in Twilight's shoulder, and Twilight wrapped her hooves around Rarity in kind. "I… I… I can... Twilight! Girls! I…" Rarity cried. Her body shuddered as she tried to form words, and tears fell freely from her eyes.

At once the rest of the girls piled on, and together they held her in a warm embrace as they began to break down as well.

"It's alright, Rares," Applejack said, letting out a shaky laugh afterwards. "Take it easy, we're here for ya."

"Ah-Appleja-ja-jaaaaack!" Rarity cried out as she detached a hoof from Twilight and latched onto Applejack.

"Woah now," Applejack said, having nearly been knocked over. "Ah think you gotten a tad bit stronger. Nearly crushed my lungs there."

Rarity let out a laugh, but otherwise continued her tight embrace.

"See? What'd I tell ya?" Rainbow Dash said, obviously trying to keep herself from breaking down despite the wetness in her eyes. "You're nothing like them."

Pinkie Pie was so emotional she was taking deep breaths between words. "That. Was. The. Most. Terrific. And. Bestest. Rainbow. Lazer. Thingy. Ever!"

Rarity shifted to each of them, holding onto them for dear life as they each gave her words of encouragement. With the exception of Fluttershy, who Rarity hugged more gently. But her concern was unneeded, for Fluttershy gripped her tightly as she bawled just as hard as Rarity.

Twilight stared lovingly at the sight before her. Now that Rarity was currently detached from her, Twilight took the opportunity to wipe her eyes, and centered herself back on the task at hoof.

 _Ruby._

 _~Already on it.~_

Twilight's eyes became white, and as they did, the girls quieted. Rarity lowered her chin as she sniffled, anxiously awaiting Twilight's final word on the results.

Rarity's soul flickered into view, and Twilight furrowed her brow as she Ruby delved into Rarity. A tense silence filled the room as Twilight and Ruby scanned.

 _~Wow, those Elements are really something else.~_

 _It's gone. It's really gone._

 _~Not entirely.~_

Twilight frowned, unknowingly causing the girls to tighten their grip on Rarity.

 _~See? By the looks of things, it's back where it should be.~_

Ruby drew Twilight's attention to a deep portion of Rarity's soul, and like the Hunter initiates they examined yesterday in preparation, they found the Hunter's curse was bundled into a small section that was separate from the rest of Rarity's soul. Like a leftover ember from a dying flame, it sat alone, and Twilight couldn't stop herself from smiling.

Rarity's soul was back as it was, and while the multitude of emotions that rushed over her brought immense joy to Twilight, she was most relieved at the sight of all the fear that had been contained. Rarity was scared, and she was going to be alright.

Ruby dismissed the soul sight, and Twilight wiped her eyes again as she gave a happy laugh. "It worked," Twilight said. "It worked!"

Rarity's face became a mess as she let out a held breath, and as she began to bawl anew, she threw her arms around Twilight again.

"You're going to be okay," Twilight said, stroking Rarity's mane. "You're gonna be okay, you're back to yourself."

* * *

"You should have seen me!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she recounted her tale. She and the rest of the girls were sharing tea with each other in a pile of blankets, forgoing the comfort of furniture for the reassuring proximity of each other.

"The first one tried to pin my wings down, and the second and third were like, 'Rawr!' and 'Grrr!'". Rainbow Dash threw her hooves into the air as she battled an invisible opponent. "But they didn't know they were messing with me! They took a punch or two, but 'Boom!' and 'Pow!' and they were out of my way in no time."

"I seem to recall you having aide from the guards," Rarity said, smirking as she set her tea down with her magic.

"Well, yeah, they were there, too. But I was the one to break free and search the castle for Twilight. They might've been vamponies, but they weren't a match for my speed. You wouldn't believe how many times I left them in the dust as I zipped through the castle." Rainbow Dash then turned to Twilight. "I don't know what spell you used, but when you did, the entire place lit up like… like…"

"Like I used the Elements of Harmony?" Twilight replied.

"Yeah, like that."

"Well," Twilight began, shuffling in her blanket as she repositioned the hooves beneath herself. "I kinda recreated what the Elements of Harmony do. Ruby and I somehow managed to perform a soul resonance."

Applejack raised an eyebrow. "So she just went and grew her own soul?"

Twilight shook her head. "No, it's… It's hard to describe. Ruby is something that I've never seen before, and from how Night Walker…"

Twilight's voice dropped, and her eyes drifted downward. The rest of the girls shared a worried look with each other. Rarity placed a hoof on Twilight's shoulder, and when Twilight looked back, Rarity held a pensive but anxious expression.

"You haven't said a word about it. Twilight, what happened between you two?" Rarity asked.

Twilight opened her mouth, but then dropped her ears as she sighed heavily. "That's the thing… I don't know what happened."

Rarity gently rubbed Twilight's shoulder, waiting patiently for her to continue.

Twilight's eyes focused on the ground, furrowing her brow as she tried to make sense of her memories. "He… The plan Ruby and I devised didn't work. The moment we saw him we just snapped. We gave him everything we had. And at some point, we started resonating between each other." Twilight frowned as she tilted her head. "It built so quickly, and we felt like that this was it, we were going to do it. He was nothing but a shadow under us when we released the magic on him, but it didn't go right, and…"

Twilight brought a hoof to her chest, and she took a deep breath. "We really hurt ourselves. Ruby is able to heal the damage, but we almost killed ourselves."

Twilight's eyes fluttered as she became aware of her thirst, and she paused to sip from her tea. Twilight grimaced slightly at the taste of blood mixed with daffodil tea, finding that her idea of mixing the two wasn't as good as she initially thought. Despite her becoming more comfortable with her new diet, she still sought out new combinations. She drained the tea in moments, but she could still feel a slight heat in her throat, and so she would later need to drink from the stock of blood she had been given by the guard.

With a sigh, Twilight continued. "The damage is repairable, but it will take some time. But after the spell ended, Night Walker threatened Ponyville, and again, we just kind of snapped." Twilight raised her hoof, and looked at it was if it was foreign to her. "Ruby and I were in perfect sync with each other, and we fought like I've never fought before. Despite our injuries, we just kept pressing him on, and every time I felt like we'd gained the advantage, he'd just smile more and more. He always managed to keep up with us."

"Eventually, we grabbed a hold of some wood, and we threw it at him. The goal was to make him move to where we wanted him to, but…" Twilight's eyes squeezed shut, and she brought her hoof back down and pressed it into the blankets, causing the wood beneath to groan from the force. "He didn't dodge it. He just let himself get impaled. He could have dodged it, he should have!"

"He was supposed to dodge it?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"Yes, I mean, no… I… I don't know," Twilight said. Her breathing quickened as a tear began to form, but she wiped it away as quickly as it appeared. "I… I don't understand why he did what he did. Why he did anything. He just… accepted my and Ruby's anger. Even when he was dying, he just smiled, until…"

Twilight frowned again, and her voice became quiet.

"Until I saw his soul… as he died."

The girls became still as Twilight collected herself, searching for the right words.

"I saw him fade away. I saw everything he made himself into… fade away." Twilight looked to the girls as if they might have an answer for a question she sought. "There were so many fake personalities, so many forged traits, that there was hardly anything about him that was real to begin with. At the end... I saw what was left of him when all of that was gone."

"What was it?" Rarity asked.

Twilight flexed her brow, and she shrugged her shoulders. "It's strange to say, but… I'm just wondering how much I actually saw of the real Night Walker all this time. I… I can't imagine the childhood he had, or why he had made himself into who he was."

Twilight let out a shuddered breath, and she wiped her nose. "In the end, I guess the only thing I can be certain about was that he was scared. He was scared like a colt, a colt that knew he had lost everything because of all the things he did."

"By the sounds of things," Rarity said. "It's almost like he planned this to happen."

"Ah couldn't imagine why anypony would plan their own death," Applejack said. "Just doesn't make too much sense to me."

"No kidding," Rainbow Dash said. "I mean, I'm glad he's… gone, but… I don't know. Night Walker was weird. He was bad, and weird. At least now we can put all of this behind us."

The girls, along with Twilight, nodded in reply. But as Twilight thought over Night Walker's dying moments once more, the darkness that swallowed the last bit of his light came back to mind, and she cocked her head.

"Still, I can't believe you all weren't able to find me and Twilight," Rainbow Dash said, drawing Twilight's back to the moment. "I'm strong and all, but it wasn't exactly easy to carry her. Seriously, if I could get past those vamponies you should have been able to mop the floor with that Shadow Burn stallion or whatever his name was."

"Shade Flare," Rarity corrected. "And you'd think so, considering how I was at the time." Rarity sighed. "No, I thought I could get past him, but he's unlike any other pony I've dealt with. His mastery over the shadows, his skill in combat… Neither of us could ever gain an edge over the other."

"I forgot to ask," Twilight said, shuffling herself closer to Rarity. "What happened between you and Shade Flare?"

"We fought," Rarity stated with a tired voice. "He and I were even throughout the entire match. That is until Rainbow Dash brought your unconscious body back, after which he simply gave up." Rarity stared into her teacup with a ponderous look. "I could have killed him when he lowered his guard, but something stayed my hoof. I can't quite describe it, but then, I'm not certain which would have been better. Having him locked up in Canterlot's dungeons, or being buried. I'm not sure if I should have let him live."

"One killer is enough," Twilight said, placing a hoof on Rarity's.

Rarity let out a cynical chuckle. "I suppose now that I'm no longer a Hunter, I can't say that I share that kind of humor as well as I used to. But I suppose I should be thankful that I don't have blood on my hooves. As much as I wanted to then, I suppose this is for the best."

Rarity patted Twilight's hoof, and then perked her ears upward. "I'm terribly sorry, I got rather depressing there. Let's change topics. Twilight, what are you going to do with the bat ponies."

"Ugh, I don't even know where to begin," Twilight replied. "Celestia and Luna are handling things at the castle ruins. We can't return the bat ponies to Dusktown in one trip due to all the elderly and children. Mist Hoof is coordinating with them, trying to help figure out a plan on what to do." Twilight shrugged. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see how things turns out. After another day of rest here, I'm going to head back out there and see what I can do to help."

Twilight turned her head and looked up at the colored sheet still hanging from a library window, blocking the sun's light. "There's so much to do. But now… At least the worst of it is over."

* * *

After her friends left some hours later, Twilight plopped herself onto the couch and let out a tired yawn.

 _I'm beat._

 _~No kidding. I've been on round the clock healing since we woke up.~_

Twilight gave a sympathetic smile. _How's it going?_

 _~Slow. Steady, but slow. How are you doing?~_

 _You should know._

Internally, Twilight let herself fall against Ruby, relaxing in what was now a comfortable sensation for her.

 _~It's been a lot. For both of us~,_ Ruby said, pulling her attention away from the section she was working on to bask in the peace with Twilight. _~Still, it's hard to believe it's over, isn't it?~_

 _Yeah, it is._

They became silent as they simply enjoyed each others' company and the comfiness of the couch. Until, that is, there was a knock at the door.

Twilight snorted. _I swear, the universe just wants to ruin everything._

 _~Since when did Twilight Sparkle believe in such things?~_ Ruby teased. _~I thought you were a pony of science and magic?~_

 _I am,_ Twilight replied as she hefted herself from the couch. _I've just become a bit less patient with things._

Ruby laughed as Twilight made for the door. _~Do you think Spike's back already?~_

 _Grabbing a new set of parchments normally takes a bit longer, but there's no reason for him to knock._

That last thought brought a wave of suspicion over Twilight and Ruby, and their muscles tensed as they approached the door. Twilight cocked her head as she perked her ears. _One heartbeat, normal pace._

 _~Want me to soul sight?~_

 _No, it's probably nothing._

Opening the door carefully, Twilight's guarded look became one of relief when she saw a pair of crossed eyes looking at her.

"Heya, Twilight."

"Oh, hello, Derpy," Twilight happily greeted as she fully opened the door. "What brings you here?"

"Got a package for ya." Derpy reached into her saddlebag, and fished out a thin rectangular package. "Loofs like anoffer book!"

Twilight giggled as she magically grabbed the parcel and floated it inside. "With all the craziness that's been happening I haven't been able to receive any books for the library. Thank you, Derpy."

"No problem," Derpy replied. She gave a left hoof salute, and then merrily flew into the sky.

Closing the door, Twilight eyed the parcel with glee as she made her way to the table with it.

 _I wonder which one it is. Who knows how many of my orders were held at the post office while everything happened. Maybe Spike and I should go down there with a wagon and see if we can just load all of it ourselves._

 _~Who knows. Just open it.~_

Twilight smiled. You seem awfully excited.

 _~A love for books is one of the better qualities I got from you, so of course I am. It feels like forever since I've had a good read.~_

 _Well then, it looks like our evening just got booked._

 _~... Really?~_

Twilight stuck her tongue out, and then proceeded to unwrap the package. Neatly undoing the wrapping paper, she hummed as she worked.

But soon, she stopped her humming, and the unwrapped book fell onto the table with a thud. A sense of dread filled both her and Ruby as they stared at the cover of the book. It's worn cover, the tiny notches, all of it was immediately familiar to them. To Twilight, it was the Corpus Nocte Morsu, and to Ruby it was a personal journal from a false past. Now though, its title simply read "Gift".

A minute passed, and still neither Twilight nor the book moved.

 _~Check it for magic~_ , Ruby spoke in a apprehensive voice.

Twilight swallowed as she nodded in reply, and she lit her horn as she carefully examined the book. She couldn't detect any charms or hidden spells in it, and when she inspected more closely, she only found the residual magic the book naturally possessed.

 _This is the same book, right?_

 _~Yes, it is. We've both used it.~_

 _Night Walker used it on us._

 _~So why is it here now?~_

 _There's only one way to find out, I guess…_

Carefully, Twilight opened the book with her magic and read the first page.

 _"Dear Twilight,_

 _If you are reading this, then congratulations. You've passed. You defeated me, rescued the bat ponies, and freed yourself from the bindings I held over you. This marks the beginning of_ your _era._

 _I'm sure you must be confused as to why you are reading this and why you've won. I'm not certain how it will end, but I'm sure you will prove yourself to me at some point, and I will willingly pass the torch down to you. Oh, I'm sure it will be painful, but hopefully you'll give me that look I've been waiting for. Of you baring your fangs as you strike with the ferocity that marks the powerful nature of a vampony. Despite what I've said to you before, you haven't disappointed me, Twilight. In fact, you've been nothing but a constant source of enjoyment and surprise._

 _I'm leaving the bat ponies to you, Twilight. When you've reordered yourself and defeated me, their existence will depend on you. They trust you, and look up to you. In the end, you will be their princess, and I doubt you will turn down such a role. You've grown attached to them, and it is with a happy heart that I leave them in your care._

 _To be honest, that wasn't the original plan. Far from it._

 _When I first emerged from my tomb, I was set on picking up things from where I left off. Imagine my surprise when I learned that a thousand years had passed and that the descendants of the ponies I knew so well were prisoners in an old Hunter town. And to make matters worse, none of them knew their history. To say I was angry was an understatement. But, it seemed things would not happen as I expected them to. No matter how many times I tried, I was never able to undo the damage the Sisters had caused in their efforts to_ aid _the bat ponies. I don't suppose you will trust him, but you should be thankful for Shade Flare's involvement in all this. He gave his life numerous times, and there were moments I feared he would not return. But he is a competent stallion, and one I've entrusted the future of the bat ponies with as well. In time, I would very much like you two to come to some sort of agreement. Everything he did was for the sake of his kin, and loyalty to kin is a trait that one must never ignore._

 _But after running out of ideas on how to heal my kin, I turned to you, Princess Twilight. A newly born alicorn that was, surprisingly, not under the protection of a kingdom's guard. You were my only chance to help the bat ponies, and by the night, did you help. You see, Twilight, it is rare that a plan goes without a hitch, so one must be fluid in their planning, and I had to be very fluid where you were concerned. At first, I thought your blood alone would suffice, but it soon became clear that it wasn't enough. So I then set about turning you into a vampony. It'd be difficult keeping you under a false guise, but worth the effort if it succeeded._

 _You can imagine my surprise when Shade Flare finally became a vampony by your hoof. An entirely new species of vampony, one that combined the traits that the Sisters and I both sought. You, Twilight, became the key to their salvation, and it was then that I knew what I must do. As much as I would love to stay and relish in peaceful times with my newly healed ponies, it would not last._

 _I'm not from this age, Twilight, and despite how much I wished to wage war with Equestria and establish an everlasting kingdom, or even come to a peaceful compromise with the Sisters, neither were for the best for the ponies I hold so dear to my heart. For the sake of their future, I would have to remain in the past. Family is a hard thing to come by, I know this frighteningly well, and one must be willing to do anything for the sake of their family._

 _I do not belong in this world, Twilight. But you do, and I know that you will rule them well. Watch over them, and move on. Hate me, curse my name, and do whatever else you feel is necessary, but please, take care of them, and never let them go."_

A tear fell onto the book's page, and with the twinkle of magic, the page turned.

 _"This book is divided into two sections. The first is a comprehensive set of instructions and guidance on vampony and shadow magic. You will learn all that I know, and you will put it to good use. Of that I have no doubt. The second section is my autobiography. While I am willing to die, everypony wishes to have their story told, and so I give you the chance to learn it. At the bottom of this page you will find the spell that will allow you to erase everything in this book, as well as the spell to rewrite it if you so desire. I urge you to copy the first section so that it will not be forgotten, but I will not hold ill will towards you if you do not wish to read the second section. It is entirely your choice, but perhaps you will learn how things came to be. Perhaps, you will learn from my mistakes, and bring a brighter future to the ponies you are now charged with._

 _Take care, Twilight. I very much enjoyed the brief time spent with you."_

More stains appeared on the book, and Twilight brought a hoof to her eye so that no more would fall onto the book.

Twilight and Ruby were filled with many emotions, some of which demanded that they throw the book into the fireplace at once and let it burn, and others that urged them to caress it as something dear. Twilight closed the book, and simply slumped onto the floor.

The mirrorscape appeared before them, and Twilight and Ruby met before the mirror. Together, they pressed their horns against the glass, and sought each other's presence as tears fell.

The world seemed so far away to them, and the future even more so. So much had been asked of them, and still more things appeared. They were tired, overwhelmed, and afraid.

But they would not give up, not when they had each other. Even though Night Walker's message had only addressed Twilight, most likely due to the his assumption at the time that Twilight would have removed Ruby, they knew the burden lay on them both. Twilight and Ruby lifted their heads to look into each other's eyes, and they nodded in unison.

 _No matter what happens._

 _~No matter what comes our way.~_

 _We'll face it together._

 _~Always together.~_

Twilight sniffed, and she gave a weak laugh. _You know, I would have balked at the idea of having another pony in my head. To never really be alone again._

Ruby laughed in kind. _~I know what you mean.~_

 _But now… I couldn't imagine my life without you._

 _~Me neither.~_

Twilight Sparkle and Ruby Sparkle placed their hooves onto the mirror, and as they gently pressed into it's surface, they found that it moved beneath their touch. And so, the glass door between them opened.

* * *

 _Elsewhere…_

"Princess, the supply shipment has arrived."

Celestia turned to face the saluting guard, and nodded. "See to it that they are hoofed out immediately. I'll be down shortly to assist."

The guard lowered his salute and bowed before exiting, leaving Celestia standing alone in the middle of the throne room of the old castle. She looked over the ruined room with longing eyes, remembering distant times as if they had happened only yesterday. A court filled with ponies, diplomats and ambassadors presenting themselves or returning with reports. News of war, discovery, and loss. Her fight with her sister.

So much had happened in this throne room, this castle, and now, it served as a temporary lodging for the displaced bat ponies. Celestia closed her eyes, recalling the first time the vamponies came to her and her Luna.

She was so lost in her thoughts that Celestia did not hear the approaching hoofsteps.

"Sister?"

Celestia opened her eyes and flinched in surprise. "Luna. I'm sorry, I did not hear you entering."

"It is alright," Luna replied. "Is something troubling you?"

"No, no, I'm just… remembering."

"I see."

Luna came to Celestia's side and leaned against her, and Celestia leaned back. They shared a minute of silence, simply relishing each other's company. But soon their minds returned to their duties, and Celestia lifted her head.

"How are they doing?" Celestia asked.

"As well as can be expected," Luna replied. "They are comfortable right now. Each stallion, mare, and child has bedding. They are looking forward to the varied food now that the supplies have arrived."

"This is quite the situation we're in."

"Indeed."

Another moment of silence passed.

"How is Twilight?" Luna asked.

Celestia sighed. "For all she's been through, as well as I could have hoped. She will heal in time."

Luna raised an eyebrow at the note in Celestia's voice. "What troubles you?"

Celestia lowered her head, and she leaned further into Luna. "I let her out of my hooves again. She nearly died for the second time, and I wasn't able to do a thing to protect her."

"You mustn't blame yourself. She is a princess, and as such, she will do as she feels is necessary. Just as I, Cadance, or you would do." Luna gently lifted Celestia's chin with her hoof. "Leave your regret, and focus on what's happening now. Do not let the past hold you."

Celestia sighed and nodded. "If you say so." After some moments, though, Celestia gave a small smirk. "Since when did my sister become so wise?"

Luna smiled. "She managed to steal some from her sister after she returned." Luna playfully nudged Celestia, and together they shared a laugh.

But their laughter was brief, and they both furrowed their brows as they pulled apart. "Many things have been returning," Luna said.

Celestia nodded in agreement. "This is far too coincidental. I feel that there is a power at work, something that's bringing our old foes back into the light."

"First Sombra, and now Night Walker," Luna said. "What of the bridge?"

Celestia shook her head. "No activity has been seen. The north remains frozen in ice, and the south remains buried in the blistering sands."

"They are not places meant for us, but have you tried to gleen why they became locked away?"

"I have," Celestia replied. "I've tried many times. No matter how much ice is melted, the windigos refreeze it before any subsational expedition can be mounted. And the sand at the southern point is always returned by an unexpected dust storm. No matter how many pegasi I deployed in the past, they've never been able to keep it at bay."

Luna took this information with contemplation, furrowing her brow at the implications. "If the Dead remains locked away, then we should prepare for the Beast."

"I'm afraid so," Celestia replied. "Two of the four Shepherds have returned. We can no longer afford to be complacent. We must prepare Equestria."

"I shall send word then," Luna said, and she opened her wings.

"No, stay here," Celestia said as she raised a hoof. "The bat ponies trust you more than I, and despite the fact that she should be resting, I'm sure Twilight will be here soon to help. Together, I'm confident that the two of you will figure out an appropriate future for the bat ponies."

Luna folded her wings. "Very well. As for the guard?"

Celestia sighed. "We will have to expand our recruitment, and provide extensive training. We were fortunate with Sombra and Night Walker, but I do not wish to test that fortune any further. The other kingdoms will be contacted as well. We must give them time to prepare."

"And the flights?" Luna asked.

"They are currently south of the Griffin Kingdoms. If luck is with us, our messengers will find them, and in a good mood. They will not be happy to hear news of the Beast's return." Celestia turned her head upward, and peered into the sky with a guarded expression. "A dragon's wrath is a terrifying thing, and _his_ even more so. I can only imagine what that _pegasus_ might do to this world without the other Shepherds to stop him."

 _To be continued in_ _'Dragonfeather'._


End file.
